The Knights' Healer
by CherryTree230
Summary: Fem!Merlin loves her life among the druids and with her father, but when Destiny calls, and she is forced to leave them for Camelot, she has to find a way to protect her people from the man she hates, as well as Morgana and Mordred from their fates. 'I will never lie to you, Arthur.' 'I'll hold you to that.' T for language. I do not own Merlin. Merthur Fic.
1. Dragon's Call

Merlyn watched her younger, surrogate-brother worriedly as he continued to cough up blood in his fitful sleep. His skin was paler than usual, almost transparent, and his brow was on fire. The druids had no remedy, and were all worried about the youngest of their camp.

"You should rest Emrys." Langet, Mordred's father, told her as he, too, watched his only child suffer in near silence.

"There must be some way to heal him, maybe Iseldir-" Merlyn began, cut off when her second father figure shook his head.

"Iseldir is many days from here, healing the southern camp. They were raided by Cenred's men." The elder of the two informed, he had already thought of it after all.

"Then I leave for my uncle Gaius, he will at least be able to slow the sickness." Merlyn sighed as she slipped into her thicker boots and dark green cloak, her blue eyes hardened with her resolve.

"But he lives in Camelot!" Langet protested futilely as his daughter-in-all-but-blood equipped her numerous weapons and stalked out of the cave system they currently inhabited.

"My father said him to be trustworthy; I have no reason to doubt him." She calmly replied, swinging her agile body onto her oldest friend, a brown and white paint named Ari. "I will return in three days at the latest."

"May the goddess be with you." Langet prayed with a bowed ahead.

"And with you." Merlyn recited before turning her attention to the issue at hand. "Come on Ari!"

* * *

Merlyn rode up to the citadel without stopping, and smirked when the guards gaped at her. Apparently they didn't get many visitors who rode bareback, much less a woman who wasn't even wearing a dress.

"Could you please watch him for me?" she asked a younger guard, who blushed at her smooth voice and squeaked out a 'yes'. "Thank you."

She eventually found her way to the physician's quarters after asking several servants and getting lost twice.

"Excuse me, Gaius?" she called out cautiously, scanning the room for her great uncle. She spotted him on a higher level just as the banister gave way, and he began to plummet to the ground. Her magic acted on its own, wrapping around the elder man, stalling his descent while simultaneously bringing a bed over just in time for him to land on.

"What on-? Did you do that? How?" he demanded in a rush, his face red and pupils blown wide from adrenaline.

"Technically it was my magic, but yes I suppose you could blame me."Merlyn shrugged nonchalantly, shocking her uncle with her bluntness.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" he continued watching the girl warily.

"My name is Merlyn, and my little brother is very ill. My father said you smuggled him out during the Purge, and could be trusted."

"I only smuggled one man out of Camelot and that was…" Gaius trailed off in realization before he relaxed his guard slightly and had her describe the symptoms.

"I would have brought him with my, but I will not risk him in Camelot." She explained, Gaius already muttering to himself as he deduced the illness and started preparing a remedy.

"I would call you foolish if you did my dear."

"I have no money, but I am willing to work for you if you like." Merlyn informed him as he put the finishing touches on the remedy and capped the vial.

"I would be most grateful for your assistance, I'm afraid I'm getting too old nowadays." Gaius complained good-naturedly as he handed his work over along with a list containing the names of various ingredients. "Most you can find in the market, the rest are in the forest."

"I understand uncle, thank you very much." Merlyn grinned, accepting a small pouch of coins before booking it out of the room and down to the citadel where Ari had several children playing around him, having never seen a horse like him before. After shooing them away gently, she wandered the market area for a while until she came upon a group of knights terrorizing a servant boy who tried to run with a target the proved to be too heavy for his scrawny frame as he tripped, and it rolled to her feet.

"Didn't Daddy ever tell you it's not proper to pick on opponents that won't make you stronger?" Merlyn mocked as the servant scurried out of range with the target—awe smothering his face.

"Didn't yours tell you not to anger men as it could get you hurt?" the ringleader retorted with venom as he stepped up to her.

"Actually no, he was too busy teaching me how to knock a self-righteous prat off his pedestal." She replied, her father had also taught her to never back down for anything.

"I could have your head." Blondie threatened, his confusion at being defied masked in anger.

"Speaking of things you'll never have, you will never gain the people's trust through stunts like what you just pulled. Good luck with your short reign, little prince." Merlyn retaliated as she turned to head back to Ari and leave the damned city already, but she was stopped when blondie grabbed her upper arm harshly.

"I do not require their trust, only their respect." He hissed in her ear. She turned to face him, blue locking onto blue.

"Funny thing about respect, I find that respect without any measure of trust is often synonymous with fear." Then she was gone, leaving a frozen prince pondering her words in silence.

* * *

Langet watched his son and daughter worriedly as she fed the boy the potion. Mordred went straight back to sleep, however he no longer coughed up blood.

"I have to leave now, Langet, I have yet to repay my uncle for his kindness." Merlyn stated as she tucked a deer pelt turned blanket around her brother snugly.

"Be careful Emrys, Camelot patrols have been getting close, we will have to move on soon." Langet told her, halting her steps as she was just about to exit the cave system once more.

"You are young Emrys. Powerful, but young. You cannot always rely on us like a child, his mother. I think-" he cut himself off with a sigh.

"You think I should leave camp. Fulfill my destiny?" Merlyn demanded through gritted teeth, her ocean blue eyes exchanged for a molten gold, "My destiny is taking care of my people, my family, Mordred is only eleven!"

"Mer-"

"NO!" she yelled, causing the entire cave system to tremble, and all magical creatures to shoot up, fully alert, at Emrys's distress. Unfortunately, this also meant Mordred. "You cannot ask me to leave them for a boy who spends his time taking cheap shots at those he deems beneath him."

'_Emrys?'_ Mordred asked. Merlyn sighed and took his hand in her, conversing with him quietly.

"I do not like it either Emrys, but it is the way it must be." Langet responded soothingly as he came up to the ravenettes and took them into his arms.

"I love you both. If you ever need me you come and call me, understand?" Merlyn sighed sternly absently wiping Mordred's tears away before leaving the caves for the last time in a stiff gait.

* * *

Merlyn took her time walking through Camelot's market, browsing mindlessly while her mind dwelled on what Langet told her not two hours ago.

"Come to offer your head then?"

Merlyn paused both mentally and physically before turning to face blondie who had three of his 'knights' behind him.

"That depends, have you offered your cheek to your father yet?" she fired back calmly, pleased that she found a harmless—for her—way to work out her frustrations with destiny and Langet.

"I could take you apart in one blow." Blondie threatened.

"I could take you apart with less than that." Merlyn replied with a taunting smile.

The ensuing fight was exceedingly entertaining for the witch, and enormously frustrating for the prince who couldn't land a single blow. They only stopped when Merlyn saw Gaius out of her peripheral vision, and surprised blondie with a quick kick to the solar plexus, simultaneously stunning and knocking the air out of his lungs.

"Of all the stupid things you could do, and you pick a fight with PRINCE ARTHUR!" Gaius raged as he dragged Merlyn into their chambers.

"Technically it was self-defense, and I didn't even hurt him!" Merlyn defended, only to slightly recoil at the withering look that was shot at her.

"Much." She corrected, though not sincerely, "At least I didn't use magic."

"And you best keep it that way." Enter eyebrow of doom.

"Relax, uncle. I am my father's daughter after all. I'll even go see if Prince Prat is okay." She grinned as she skipped out of the room.

"That's precisely why I'm worried." The old man muttered as he went to prepare for the evening.

* * *

"Knock knock." Merlyn said as she entered Arthur's chambers without actually knocking, startling the pra-prince.

"What are you doing here?" blondie asked as he walked out from where his bed was.

"Gaius guilt-tripped me into seeing if you're alright after I kicked you in the chest, something about fractured ribs." Merlyn shrugged nonchalantly.

"I'm completely fine." Merlyn rolled her eyes.

"I'll be the judge of that."

"Hey!" Arthur protested as the woman in front of him forced to sit down in a chair and began to raise is shirt, much to his alarm.

"Relax, I've done this for my people loads of times, even males." The witch said over his flustered spluttering.

"Your people?" He questioned as he reluctantly stopped squirming away from her hands that prodded at his ribcage.

"Mmm, we are often raided, and the ones who are not killed are usually wounded." She explained as she ran her hands around to his back.

"Raided? By bandits?"

Merlyn smiled wryly, "I personally think so, but in your opinion that would be an offensive term."

"Will you never just give me a straight answer?" Arthur sighed.

"I never lie, Arthur, however that won't stop me from being vague in my responses." She explained as she made him lean to the side so she could prod at the bruise on his chest.

"I'll hold you to that." He said as she released him finally and pulled his shirt down.

"I may have bruised a rib, but nothing to serious. Try to avoid being hit there will you?" she told him as they stood, and left the room, once again leaving a confused blonde.

* * *

Merlyn was walking back to Gaius's chambers when she felt an unfamiliar presence in her mind.

_Merlyn _it called repeatedly. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she followed the voice deep into the dungeons. She had to distract a couple of guards before continuing into a giant cavern underneath the castle.

"How does that castle not collapse?" she muttered to herself, only to yelp when a grand dragon landed in front of her.

"How small you are for such a great fate." He commented, giant eyes taking in her chin-length black hair, slightly tan skin, and piercing blue eyes.

"It is rather strange." Merlyn agreed as she took in the dragon's enormity.

"Your time with the druids was well spent."

"Unfortunately that time has come to an end." She replied coldly.

"All good things must. However, you can see them again when you have fulfilled your fate." The great dragon explained with a ghost of a smile before he took off, back up into the cavern.

* * *

When Merlyn woke the next morning she slipped on an off-the-shoulder, dark blue dress, tied a red sash around her waist, and exited the room barefoot.

"And just where are you going like that?" Gaius asked with an arched eyebrow.

"To Gwen's," the witch replied as she ran her fingers through her hair, "Arthur stopped me yesterday when I went to commission Tom for some long knives."

"And the bare feet?" Gaius pressed, making her pause in the door.

"Fun." She grinned manically before slipping out into the corridor.

Merlyn smiled at Tom as she left the blacksmith's shop, only to nearly run into Arthur.

"Are you sensing déjà vu?" she asked as blondie looked away from her uncomfortably.

"I…apologize…for my actions yesterday." He conceded reluctantly.

"Nah, that's alright. I haven't had that much fun in years!" exclaimed Merlyn with an excited grin as she walked through the market with him, both oblivious to the stares they attracted.

"Where did you learn to fight?" Arthur suddenly demanded, as though he had been restraining himself from asking.

"Where I come from, it doesn't matter your gender or station. If you can fight, you do. Why should it matter that your reproductive organs are outside and ours are in?" the witch replied casually as she bought a necklace with a triskele hidden in a tree looped on the cord before turning to Arthur who was flustered at her blunt reference to the human body. Though it was obvious that he was rolling her words around his head.

"Think of it this way," she continued as he absentmindedly followed her once more, "If raiders were to attack and murder everyone because they thought themselves better or feared you, what would you do?"

"Defend it to my last breath." Was the immediate response.

"Then what stops anyone else from feeling the same? Why is it, that instead of letting them fight, you tell these people and the women to leave their homes so that others may defend it?"

"The Knights of Camelot-"

"Are nobles." Merlyn interrupted, blue staring into blue as they stopped just outside the Citadel, "They can easily rebuild or relocate if their homes are destroyed, if they even have any here. If the peoples' homes were to be destroyed, they would have no way of restarting. Most of your knights view _your people_ as dirt under their boots, most see women as objects who should please them, keep the house clean, and the bed warm."

"The Knights have a code-" He protested feebly only to find that they were moving once more and that she had taken to holding his arm in a soft grip.

"But that does not stop them. Most are without honor, so the women of my people are taught to fight so that when they run into these men, they will not be raped, beaten, then killed." She once again interjected, before holding out the necklace she just bought.

"What is this?" Arthur asked as they stopped just outside his chambers.

"Are you blind now? It's a tree, all receive this among my people when they are of age. It can mean many things. My father believes that it connects the realms of the dead, living, and magic."

"And you?" Arthur implored as their eyes sought each other's souls.

"I can't recall the exact wording of the phrase. Basically, it reminds me that you can be the best of the best, or the lowest of the low, but a life is a life, and in the end we are all equal and rely on each other to survive." She explained.

"Wouldn't a circle be better then?" the prince asked, suddenly teasing, but still close to her.

"Perhaps," Merlyn smiled slyly, "but this looks so much more interesting."

Arthur chuckled as the witch adjusted her grip on the necklace, and surprised him by tying it around his neck. She simply laughed at his confused expression. He thought it was a very nice sound, nothing remotely similar to the annoyingly high-pitched ladies of the court.

"It is a gift, to constantly remind you." She explained before sauntering off to Gaius's chambers. He didn't need to know that she infused it with her magic to protect him.

* * *

As Merlyn followed Gaius to the feast, she couldn't shake off her suspicion of the Lady Helen. She had been sent to deliver a preparation for her voice, and found a magic book and straw doll. Unfortunately, she had to push it to the back of her mind when Arthur approached.

"Gaius, Merlyn." He greeted cordially with an incline of his head.

"Sire." The physician replied before looking at his niece expectantly.

"Hello, Blondie." She grinned, dodging Gaius's swipe expertly as said prince scowled half-heartedly.

"That's what you say to your prince?" his serious tone was ruined by the smirk on his face.

"Ah, but you're not _my _prince." Merlyn corrected cheekily, before dragging him towards Morgana and her maid, who Merlyn had met earlier when she had gotten lost.

"What are you doing?" Arthur demanded in alarm.

"_I _am going to introduce you to Gwen, _you _are going to introduce me to the King's ward, she looks like a woman of character." The witch stated as they reached their destination. She smiled at the two women as she kept an iron grip on the prince, who was struggling as discreetly as he could manage—much to all three women's amusement.

"My, my Arthur, you really _do _flirt by fighting." Morgana teased, causing said prince to flush.

"I'm Merlyn, my lady. Gwen, Blondie. Blondie, Gwen." Merlyn introduced, producing giggles from the two women as he prisoner sulked at her nickname for him.

"Call me Morgana, we will get along just fine." Morgana commented as she exchanged a sly glance with Gwen, who merely shook her head in exasperation.

"Oh no. You two are forbidden from seeing each other." Arthur declared as he pictured the torment they could inflict on him.

"No need to be jealous Blondie, we all know you saw me first." Merlyn reassured, smirking as he tried to jerk back and away from her, but her grip was too strong.

"W-What!?" he spluttered, only saved when his father finally entered and Merlyn was forced to release him so they could all go to their positions.

The witch observed everything around her with an internal frown. How dare this tyrant hunt down her kind as though they were pests when his own son _reeked _of it. He was lucky her gift to the prince masked it from other sorcerers. She nearly rolled her eyes when 'Lady Helen's' sleep spell washed over the court, her magic protecting her from its effects, only to narrow when the woman pulled a knife with her eyes fixed on blondie. Her eyes flashed liquid gold, and she didn't so much as flinch when a chandelier fell onto the sorceress. Women shrieked as they woke to find themselves covered in cobwebs and a body in their midst, while the men grimaced in discomfort.

'_Danger'_ her magic warned her, and she slowed time as the newly revealed Mary Collins launched her blade at Arthur, who was too disoriented to react fast enough, with the remaining energy in her body. She grabbed his arm for the third time that day and pulled with all her strength, sending them to the floor entangled in each other as the knife embedded itself deeply into the chair not a moment later.

"My, my, if I knew you were that desperate I would have felt bad about kicking your blonde, lonely ass." Merlyn commented dryly as Arthur tried (and failed) to separate himself from her person with a light blush. The entire court was staring at them in shock.

"This is _your _fault!" he deflected in anger (read embarrassment). The pinned girl sighed before twisting her way out of his grasp.

"Is not. Honestly, who can't dodge a dagger?" she scoffed incredulously, with the corner of her mouth turning up subtly.

"You saved my boy's life." Uther finally uttered, looking at the small slip of a girl in shock.

"Yes, well, apparently standing around while someone else is killed is frowned upon, so…" Merlyn shrugged, dodging Gaius's swat with an annoyed look.

"Is this going to be a regular thing with you, Uncle?"

"You know this girl, Gaius?" the King asked with a contemplative look.

"She is my niece, I am training her to be a physician." The old man replied respectfully.

"You must be rewarded." Uther turned back to the girl who had removed the knife from his son's chair and was flipping it through her fingers out of the blonde's reach.

"It's really not necessary, Majesty." Merlyn replied as she planted a foot on Arthur's stomach to keep him away (_Honestly the dagger itself isn't magic, there's no point in throwing it away!_).

"No, this merits something special. You will be the knights' healer!" he declared, nearly making her fall over, if Arthur hadn't caught her.

"You have got to be kidding me." She muttered as Gaius led her back to their chambers and away from the polite applause of the court.

* * *

**AN: Thanks for reading this! I do irregular updates. I will be doing an episode a chapter, but if I really don't like it, then I'm skipping FYI.**

_**3537 Words**_

_**8 Pages**_


	2. Valiant

**AN: Thanks for reviewing gwainesnow, MEIPHANTOMHIVE, and Nataly SkyPot. I'm glad you enjoyed last chapter!**

* * *

Merlyn rolled her eyes when she spotted Arthur dragging his poor manservant to the training area, both decked out in armor. She started to walk towards them laughing when poor Morris went down after being hit in the head due to a cheap shot by the prince. She scoffed when Arthur said he was 'training' for the tournament, and unsheathed her beautifully crafted long knives Gwen had delivered this morning.

"You lasted longer than the other servants, they usually go down after the first blow." Blondie commented sounding somewhat impressed.

"Is it over yet?" Morris whined pathetically.

"How's your mace work coming along?"

"Not very well, I'm afraid." The witch interjected cheekily, watching as they both whipped around to face her. "I don't have the upper body strength."

"Of course not, you're a girl." Arthur scoffed, though he kept a wary eye on her weapons of choice.

"Let's not start that conversation again, I thought you were training." Merlyn replied with a grin before swinging at him, causing him to stumble back in surprise.

"Body. Leg. Gut. Arm. Body. Leg." She mocked, Arthur getting into the swing of things, she decided to change it up, noticing absently that Sir Leon was making his way towards them with a strange expression.

"Groin!" she suddenly called, dropping her blades.

"Wha-?" Arthur said in surprise, only to cry out in pain when his opponent grabbed his shoulders and brought her knee to his groin.

"Merlyn!" he yelled as he fell to the ground, clutching at his wounded pride and privates.

"How were you not expecting that?" said woman asked in disbelief even as Morris offered his head to her examination. They all jumped when they heard a loud, deep, laugh and turned to face the momentarily forgotten Sir Leon as he strode up beside them and turned his gaze to Merlyn.

"The King wishes you and Gaius to perform physicals on all the knights of Camelot." He informed as the witch gave Morris the all clear and simply dragged Sir Leon by the arm and had him carry Arthur to Gaius's chambers where she had them both take off their shirts, much to their embarrassment.

"Please it's nothing I haven't seen before." She scoffed before she began prodding at them, asking questions that made them flush, and pinched their skin. "You both have the all clear from me, now if you'll excuse me, there are over a hundred other knights I have to attend to."

"Merlyn, could you teach Morris how to dress me in armor, he really is useless." Arthur called before she could leave fully, Sir Leon pausing in the hallway to watch their interaction.

"If he were truly useless, you would not like him as much as you do, and if I have time I will. Good day Blondie, Sir Leon."

* * *

Merlyn watched as Morris fumbled with Arthur's armor and sighed in exasperation and exhaustion. Gaius had been otherwise occupied yesterday, leaving her to do the physicals of all the knights under Uther's command, even the ones not participating in the tournament. She pushed his hands away and set the armor out neatly before putting them in their places on Arthur, explaining the process to the blushing servant even as she reached around Arthur to pull his cape around his neck properly, standing unnecessarily close, just to unnerve the prat and get his thoughts off the fights he had today.

"Nervous, Blondie?" she mocked as Morris fetched his sword and shield from the table they were laid out on.

"I don't get nervous." He retorted hotly.

"Really?" she drawled with a mocking grin, "I thought _everyone _got nervous."

"SHUT UP MERLYN!" he yelled, only causing her to laugh as Morris returned, handing the articles to his furious employer, and wisely stepping out of his way when he stomped past to the arena.

"He likes you, Morris." Merlyn commented as they both followed at a more sedate pace.

"Are you sure, Merlyn? He gives me a giant list of duties every morning and yells at me constantly." The servant complained.

"He's just testing you, making sure you are strong enough to handle his life style." She explained as they took their positions off to the side.

"What do you mean?" Morris asked, his face a mask of confusion.

"He patrols and hunts dangerous things, usually getting ambushed as he is the heir to the throne, he's making sure you have the endurance and strength to defend yourself or run off if the situation calls for it."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

* * *

Merlyn nearly bit Valiant's head off when she spotted the snake bite on Sir Ewan's neck as she and Gaius carried him to their chambers. And to think her day had started so well. She and Gaius double checked his symptoms and were certain it had been a snake. They were discussing whether to tell Uther of the suspected sorcery, but decided that he would take Valiant's words over theirs. Even if he was foreign and the king had known Gaius for many years.

Idiot.

Merlyn figured that considering the ferocity of which all the knights had fought with, cracked ribs, dislocated shoulders, and sprains was pretty relaxed injury-wise (Sir Ewan didn't count). She was just happy that Arthur hadn't sustained anything more than a few bruises.

"Ah!" the knight she was tending to cried out as she popped his shoulder back into place.

"Sorry. Try to take it easy, and don't move that if you can help it." Merlyn instructed before washing her hands and heading back to her chambers, when Morris nearly ran her over.

"Merlyn!" he gasped in surprise as he steadied her.

"Where are you rushing off to?" she questioned with an indulgent smile, distracting the boy momentarily.

"It happened this morning, but I thought I was hearing things, and now I can't get it out of my head." He rushed out.

"What happened?" asked the witch in confusion.

"I was gathering Arthur's armor, when I heard…hissing." He explained, earning a strange look from the woman in front of him.

"Hissing? Are you sure?"

"Yes, I followed the sound to Sir Valiant's shield, and I swear one of the snakes blinked." The servant sounded hysterical at this point.

"I'm sure it's nothing Morris, it might have been that all the stress about the tournament made you hallucinate. I want you to go to bed and get a good night's sleep, understand?" she assured, and followed Morris down the hall with her eyes, before narrowing them and making her way towards Valiant's chambers, making sure a guard was in the corridor before she knocked on the door.

"What can I do for you?" asked the man guardedly but politely when the door swung open.

"I'm Merlyn, the knights' physician. I just wanted to make sure you were not in need of medical attention, Sir Valiant." Merlyn explained with an innocent smile and wide eyes as she remained just out of reach, and within the guard's sight at all time. Valiant seemed to have realized this as well as his wandering eyes paused and he instead smiled charmingly.

"I assure you that I am of perfect health. I hope my opponents are of the same state?" he replied, though she picked up malice in his tone and eyes.

"I am afraid they will not be well for a few weeks at least, though it is expected after facing an opponent such as yourself." She complimented before dismissing herself and returning to her chambers.

'That man is hiding something. Something dark and twisted.' She thought to herself before stepping into her room after assuring Gaius that the knights were all tended to.

* * *

The next morning found the witch putting armor on Arthur once more, claiming that she wouldn't have the half-asleep Morris causing her entertainment to be killed due to a half-assed job on securing his only form of protection.

"Where do you even learn to do this?" asked the prince as she put his belt in place, but allowed him to secure it.

"My father was a knight and kept his armor after he was banished. He believed that I would need to know how it was applied to know where its weak points are." She replied as she flung the cape over his shoulders and tied it at the base of his neck.

"Banished? Why?"

"He was suspected of possessing magic." She felt more than saw Arthur's instinctive flinch, but had to commend him for not reaching for his sword.

"And does he?"

"Yes, he is the last of the Dragonlords. A great race of people who could command the dragons." She replied in a wistful tone that suddenly grew darker with anger her blue eyes turning grey. "Your father tricked him into summoning the last great dragon, claiming to want to make peace after slaughtering the rest of his kind like pigs."

Arthur flinched at the blatant disgust in her voice and merely allowed her story to wash over him as he heard, for the first time in his life, the darker side of the things his father did. He suddenly felt sick at the thought of being related to the man he had always looked up to, and he couldn't fathom why.

"Uther imprisoned the last dragon in thick chains enchanted by unbreakable magic deep under the castle and ordered for my father to be imprisoned and sent to the pyre for using magic, what he was _born _with."

"Hold on a moment, there isn't a dragon under the castle!" Arthur declared, near desperate to keep his view of his proud, strong father untainted.

"Yes there is, his name is Kilgarrah, and he's a cryptic bastard."

"Are you telling me that you have magic!?" he whispered violently as he grabbed her arm and dragged her into his tent and looked around for eavesdroppers.

"Well, not in so many words, but yes." Was her blunt reply.

"Why?" asked Arthur dubiously, he couldn't fathom the trust she had in him to not have her killed. "My father has threatened yours and-"

"Many of my people." She finished with a pained smile. "I have no love for your father, but you are different, kind behind all your pride and pretentiousness. This is not the right place for this conversation, however, you have battles to win, and I have knights to clean up."

"After dinner, will you come to my chambers?"

"That's a bit forward. I never knew you had it in you." Merlyn teased, causing Arthur to blush and start to stammer out a retort. She simply put a hand on his shoulder and nodded before leaving the tent, and the prince to his thoughts.

* * *

"How is Sir Ewan?" Morris questioned as he entered Gaius's chambers and spotted Merlyn trying to tame said knight's fever.

"You were right about the snakes, I saw Valiant feeding a mouse to them." She replied instead as she stood and circled around to the boy with a sword in hand.

"What."

"Look, Sir Ewan is going to die without the antidote, and Gaius can only make it with the venom of the snake that bit him. I need you to go to his chambers and bring me the head of one of the snakes." Merlyn explained, handing him the sword and pushing him towards the door.

"But I've hardly ever used a sword! Why can't you do it?"

"I have to stay here while Gaius is out, besides, no one will question a male servant going into his room, they _will _question a female servant who isn't exactly modest." Morris simply blushed at the implications of that one sentence before straightening up and making his way determinedly towards Valiant's chambers.

Merlyn shook her head fondly before heading back over to Ewan when he began to stir. She took his hand and subtly transferred a small bit of magic into him, to help his body fight the venom in his blood.

"Sir…Valiant was…cheating…there were these….snakes…" he muttered. Merlyn shushed him before making him more comfortable and forcing a bit of water down his throat.

"It's alright, Sir Ewan, we know. He won't get away with it." She assured gently as the knight faded back to a fitful slumber.

"How is he, Merlyn." Gaius rumbled as he entered the room after finishing tending to the other knights.

"I've managed to bring his fever down a bit, and Morris is fetching the snake." She replied nonchalantly, catching his stumble with her magic easily. "You're going to break a hip if you keep tripping."

"You sent Morris against magical snakes? Are you mad!" the physician cried, taking a swat at her that she dodged once more.

"You should have more faith in him." Was all she said just as Morris burst through the door, scared out of his wits, but clutching a snake head none the less.

"I got it, I don't think I was seen, but I got it." He stated triumphantly, all too happy to pass the head off to Gaius who started to make the antidote immediately.

"See, I knew you had it in you. Can you stay with Ewan while I take this to Arthur?" Merlyn asked Morris who nodded numbly.

"Do not leave is side at all, Morris. Do not fall asleep. If there are two more snakes, you can bet that at least one will be coming to kill him." She warned the servant who looked a thousand times more alert.

"Yes ma'am."

She merely grinned and took the now venom-less head from Gaius and sauntered off to Arthur's chambers. She knocked and was surprised when the door was flung open instantly, a disgruntled blonde ponce glaring at her in annoyance.

"Where have you been." He demanded as he wrenched her into his room with a firm grip on her arm.

"Sir Ewan was poisoned by a snake from Valiant's shield. I convinced Morris into chopping one of the heads off so Gaius could make an antidote, and then I came here like you asked earlier. Here's proof." She explained in a single breath, practically throwing the head at Arthur, who recoiled but caught it none the less.

"What?"

"Sir Valiant is using magic to win the tournament, he used it on Ewan, and will use it on you. I suspect in your fight tomorrow."

Arthur had to process everything he heard from her and rearrange it into a logical sequence before understanding what she wanted from him.

"I can get my father to call a council meeting, but without a testimony from Sir Ewan himself, it will not be of any use."

"Sir Ewan is having the antidote administered now. I cannot promise he will be awake to testify, But you already know I am not lying." Merlyn countered seriously, before sighing and smiling up at him gently, catching him off guard.

"I will see what I can do." Arthur muttered as she led him in front of the fire Morris had lit earlier.

"Why don't I tell you one of the oldest legends my people have instead. You could do with a little variety in your life." She offered as they sat down and she pulled his head into her lap, running her fingers through his hair soothingly.

"Okay."

"There once was a time when magic was revered in the world, where many did not fear it, but embraced it. As such, there were many people who possessed it, causing it to be spread thin, leaving no one with extremely strong magic." She began.

"Why not?" Arthur asked curiously as he dug his fingers into her dress and stared into the fire.

"There is only a certain amount of magic allowed into our world at once, the more people that have it, the less there is, and vice versa." Merlyn explained patiently before continuing.

"Eventually, there was a great king, much loved by his people. He had a beautiful wife and was surrounded by many friends, magical and non-magical alike. Despite the great love the king held for his wife, they could not have children, so they turned to their oldest friend, a sorceress who was also the High Priestess of the Old Religion."

"High Priestess?" the prince questioned once more.

"The leader of my people, though many can choose not to follow her."

"_Her?_"

"Back then our women did not have to fight as we do now. The men became the soldiers, the first defense, while our women became leaders, now hush." Merlyn grinned as the prince in her lap huffed in annoyance.

"The priestess told the King and his wife that she could give them an heir, but warned them that to create a life, one had to be taken, and Magic did not care who it was. The wife was wary at first, but seeing her husband so excited, she gave in, and became pregnant. The land prospered as the pregnancy wore on. But every good thing has to end." She ended ominously, her eyes glazing over. Arthur peered up at her worriedly.

"Magic did not care who was chosen to have their life taken, and the priestess had chosen the wife. She died in child birth. Driven mad by grief, the once great King banished the priestess and ordered all those who practiced magic be imprisoned and executed. The once prosperous land was suddenly over taken by fear and darkness as the Balance was disrupted."

"What do you mean?" asked Arthur, causing her blue eyes to snap to his, suddenly clear.

"All those people and dragons and magical creatures killed, all that magic removed from this world, it was chaos. So Magic had to restore Balance. Four children were born. The first was the King's son, who he loved dearly. He didn't receive the ability to use magic, but his life _was _magic. The second was a young girl, born of a Dragonlord and a common woman who was forced to give her child to the Druid's to raise and fulfil her Destiny, to help the King's son restore the natural order of Albion, and bring peace to the world. The third was another daughter, for every Light had a Dark. Her Destiny was to stop the second from restoring the balance, and leave Chaos to conquer. The last to be born was a son, who was destined to stop the first. Every Light had a Dark, a Son for a Son, a Daughter for a Daughter. Two opposing forces fated to cross paths and destined to destroy each other."

"I will not allow a destiny to rule my life." Arthur stated, when she did not continue.

"I believe there is always a choice in Destiny. I choose to guide you to unite Albion, as that is how it should be. However, it is _your _choice to destroy the Dark." Merlyn replied evenly as he sat up and stared her straight in the eyes.

"Do you believe I should destroy them?"

"I believe that you will know what to do when the time comes." She countered as she stood and walked to the door, stopping before opening it.

"In my world, Dark does not always mean evil." And then she was gone.

* * *

Merlyn scowled at Uther when he dismissed his son's word and took Valiant's instead. Due to her posting Morris at Ewan's side, a second snake had not been able to kill him. Unfortunately, the knight had yet to waken. Arthur presented the evidence, but the minute he tried to use Morris's testimony, the King had scoffed and practically called Arthur a coward. Now she was dragging the upset blonde ponce with her down to the dungeons of the castle and into the cavern that held the great Dragon.

"Merlyn why are you dragging me here?" Blondie demanded, jumping when Kilgarrah suddenly appeared in front of him.

"I told you there was a dragon." Was all that she muttered before turning her attention to the beast in front of her.

"Valiant is using some sort of magic on his shield to make the snakes come to life, I need to know how to do it, too." She informed him bluntly.

"It is a simple spell, one that Gaius will be able to find for you, young witch." Kilgarrah informed her before turning his attention to Arthur.

"I am honored to see the Once and Future King in the flesh."

"What?" Arthur asked, facing Merlyn who sighed.

"That is what you are known as among my kind. They call me Emrys."

"Good to know. When you told me the legend of your people, what did you mean when you said that that the Queen gave her life for her son…for…me?" Implored Arthur anxiously.

"You should not worry yourself with the past now, Blondie." Merlyn deflected, refusing eye contact.

"There will come a time for you to know what happened, Arthur. You are not strong enough yet." Kilgarrah rumbled wisely before flying off, leaving the prince and witch to find their way back to their chambers.

* * *

Merlyn spent the entire night trying to perfect the spell Gaius had found her to reanimate the snakes, but just couldn't get it. It wasn't until the next morning, when Arthur and Valiant had already begun to fight, that she successfully made a dog statue come to life. She dodged the riled dog's lunge and ran out the door, locking it behind her.

"Do not go into my room, we'll deal with it later!" she called to Gaius as she stumbled down the stairs and out to the arena.

She had to wait several impatient minutes as Arthur was stripped of both his shield and sword. He was wisely dodging the shield that Valiant continuously tried to pin him down with, before spinning away at a distance that opened Valiant's shield to her magic. She repeated the spell, and was pleased when the remaining two snakes popped out. She panicked when the snakes charged Arthur and none of the guards went to his aid, to stunned to move. Luckily, Morgana thought quickly and tossed Arthur a sword. He beheaded the snakes and fought Valiant with excessive ferocity before driving his sword through the 'knight'.

"Piece of cake." She commented when he passed her. He scoffed and threw an arm around her shoulders to give her a sort-of-hug before releasing her when Morris came running with a large smile on his pale face.

"Sire! That was excellent!" the boy called, beaming all the while. Arthur merely rolled his eyes.

* * *

**AN: Thanks to everyone who followed and favorited, you guys really inspire me to keep writing :)**

_**3873 Words**_

_**8 Pages**_


	3. Mark of Nimueh

**AN: I want to thank everyone who favorite/followed and Caki Black, FateOfChaos, BlueGreen216, latinagirl-reader2010, Nataly SkyPot, bookworm18, Seraphina25, and Fanficqueen306 for reviewing! You guys seriously motivate me to keep writing. To answer some questions, this is a Merthur fic, and Morgana and Mordred's allegiances have yet to be determined.**

"Gaius, the disregard for your health is truly astounding." Merlyn drawled as the physician bent over a body lying in the street fearlessly.

"It's my job." He replied flatly as he grabbed the man's shoulder, "Nothing to be afraid of."

"Want to rethink that last statement?"

They both gave startled gasps when he revealed the man's face to be pale with dark blue veins protruding from the sides, his eyes a milky blue-white.

"People mustn't see this, they'll panic." Gaius said hurriedly as he grabbed a nearby wheelbarrow. Merlyn nodded and snagged a blanket from a clothes line. They lifted the body into the barrow and covered him up before hauling him back to their chambers.

"Hello Merlyn."

Said witch whipped around and quickly blocked the covered body from Gwen, even as she greeted her, Gaius turning around to watch their interaction carefully.

"Hello Gwen. Someone get you flowers?"

"Oh no, I picked these for Lady Morgana, she could use some cheering up. Would you like one?" the maidservant inquired. Merlyn nodded with a smile as Gwen took a purple flower and tucked it behind her ear with some of her hair.

"Thank you Gwen, but we have to be going."

"Are you moving something? It looks heavy." Gwen commented.

"It's nothing really, besides I'm getting Sir Leon to take it up the steps for us." Merlyn grinned before pushing the cart while Gaius pulled.

"Merlyn?"

"Ah! Sir Leon, just the knight I wanted to see!" the witch exclaimed, happy at his perfect timing.

"What are you doing?" asked the noble knight with a raised eyebrow.

"One of the men from the lower town died, and now we have to try and find out what. Will you carry him to our chambers please? I promise to give you a free pass when you get injured during training." She tempted, earning a mock offended look, and a raised eyebrow from her Uncle.

"Merlyn, I am a knight of Camelot, such bribery will not sway me." Leon began adopting a regal tone. "That being said, you are truly terrifying in medic-mode and I will gladly take the free pass."

Merlyn laughed loudly, unknowingly attracting the attention of a certain blonde prince who turned to watch her and Leon's interactions from his open window. The knight easily lifted the covered body into his arms and followed Gaius respectfully while trying to dodge Merlyn's light jabs to his exposed torso. Arthur frowned to himself, but was disrupted when Morris informed him of his father's summons.

Merlyn hummed to herself, pleased that she had managed to get Sir Leon to drop the body he was carrying, though he quickly caught it again. Her laughter had Gaius whirling around with a raised eyebrow, sobering her and the knight right up. Currently, she was bent over said body with Gaius.

"I've never seen an illness like this." Gaius commented, just as the door opened and Arthur walked in, shutting the door behind him.

"Gaius, Merlyn, my father requests your presence." He informed them, though Merlyn just crossed her arms and nodded to him in a 'go-on' motion.

"I…also need to talk to you about your magic." He bit out lowly.

"You told him what!?" Gaius practically roared as he swatted at his niece, who allowed the blow to connect, knowing his ire would only increase if she were to dodge this time.

"He asked, I wasn't about to lie!"

"He could have you killed!"

"Why did you tell me in the first place?" Arthur interrupted, directing their attention back to him. He had a troubled expression on his face, and Merlyn suddenly realized the war he must have raging inside of him between his morals and what he has been taught all of his life. All because of her.

"I do not like to lie, and I knew that if I kept it from you, it would have forced me to eventually. Besides, you are too good a man to condemn me for my magic when I have only used it to help people." Merlyn explained before excusing herself to find some shoes.

"Sire, I know this must be confusing for you, but there is only two things I want you to be made aware of." Gaius implored, turning to the blonde prince with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes?"

"First, Merlyn was born with her magic, she had no choice in it." The physician informed.

"And the second?" Arthur suddenly felt dread coil in his stomach.

"If you were to divulge her secret to anyone without provocation or her express permission…well, let's just say that you don't get to be my age without learning creative ways to take care of someone and get away with it." The older man smiled darkly at Arthur, making the younger man pale rapidly and nod in agreement.

"Noted."

"What are you two standing around for still? I thought Uther called for us." Merlyn asked, coming back into the main chamber walking a little stiffly now that she had shoes on her feet.

"You really don't like shoes do you?" mused Arthur even as he put her between him and the—formerly kind turned black—physician and lead them to the council chambers.

"Who _wants_ to wear shoes!? It only keeps you from the earth!" she exclaimed incredulously. Earning blank looks from the men on either side.

"They protect your feet Merlyn." Gaius said flatly.

"My feet wouldn't need protecting if they weren't kept soft due to these death contraptions." She grumbled in response.

Arthur just shook his head before separating from them to stand at his father's side, now that they had arrived at their destination. Merlyn and Gaius immediately went to the body of a male servant who had the same pale skin and blue veins as the man they found earlier.

"What is it?" Uther demanded after several moments.

"We are not sure Sire, we had found another man like this in the town and were attempting to find a cause." Gaius informed respectfully, even as Merlyn prodded at the body in several places, ignoring the looks from the ladies of the court that looked upon her fearfully for being so close to the dead servant.

"What are you hiding from me?"

"We have never seen anything like this, sire. We believe that the _most likely_ cause is witchcraft." Merlyn replied as she stood up and took a step away from the body so some guards could take him away.

Uther immediately began spewing instructions to Arthur about door-to-door searches and searching all who moved through the gates. Merlyn rolled her eyes at his stupidity before pushing up her sleeves and following Gaius back to their chambers.

Arthur felt as if he was stuck between dying by ice and dying by fire. Both are painful, rotten ways to go, but one seems less extreme then the other somehow. Unfortunately, he didn't know which was which, much less if Uther was ice and Merlyn was fire or vice versa. As it was he had two voices arguing inside of him at once. The first—who sounded suspiciously like his father—raged against the evil magic that was killing his people, showing proof once again that magic was not to be trusted and, instead, purged from the earth. The second, pleaded his sympathy for a group that was judged by the actions of the few.

He really liked that voice the best if he was being honest. Ever since Merlyn had told him of her people's legend, and how there was to be a specific amount of magic on the earth at once, he couldn't help but find fault in what he was taught from birth.

_Magic is evil. It only seeks a foothold in our minds to destroy the earth._

And he still believed that despite Merlyn's blind (_stupid_) faith in him. That was not a lesson that would fade quickly, and he found it frustrating. He didn't want to be told that his entire way of life was wrong, that the things he did for his father (_why not his people?_) was for nothing and most likely evil (_why had he not seen it before?_).

And yet…

A flash of black hair and brilliant blue eyes suddenly filled his mind, and the blonde prince growled. He gripped his hair in frustration and collapsed into the chair at his desk in frustration. Why would she save him if she had magic? When he had only hurt her, her people, and her way of life. When he had given orders to his knights to slaughter people who were like her without mercy or a chance to plead for their life? (_Not that it would have mattered to Uther, would it?_).

Why tell him point blank about her abilities (_is it a curse or a gift?_) with no fear when if she hadn't saved his life, he would have told his father immediately and watched her hang? Was she joking (_does he hope so or not?_) or was she trying to mess with him (_not how she'd do it_)? All Arthur _did_ know was that he could only give her the benefit of the doubt for now.

But he would be watching her.

Because, good intentions or not, magic always corrupted people (_why sweet, kind, different Merlyn?_) and he would not risk his people because of his ignorance (_or is it compassion?_). For now he had a sorcerer to catch (_why would they stick around to be caught after doing whatever it is they did?_) and somewhere, a third (_unheard_) voice sobbed, muffled words being screamed through tightly clasped hands, declaring that (_sweet, kind, and different_) Merlyn had nothing to do with the sickness even if magic corrupts, because he wouldn't let it corrupt her.

Merlyn frowned and internally grieved for the people suffering around her as she and Gaius walked through the lower town. Many were sick, there was dead lying in the streets, and guards were conducting searches of everyone's homes. They did not do anything to warrant this plague, and yet _they _suffered while the one who caused it hid behind his stone walls healthy and living lavishly. She knew she could do nothing for the people of Camelot, but when she saw the young man—not even past his sixteenth summer she noted—propped up and on the verge of death, she couldn't help but rush over to him and comfort him in his last few moments.

"Come, Merlyn, we have to find the cause to find the cure." Gaius urged softly, choosing not to remark on his niece's wet eyes.

"The day that Uther is dethroned, will be the day that everyone will celebrate and welcome with open arms." Merlyn muttered darkly, closing the boy's eyes as she stood and whirled around to follow Gaius back to their chambers.

"Perhaps the contents of the stomach will tell us how the disease is spread." Gaius commented absently even as he removed a thick liquid from one of the corpses before moving on to another.

"Yeah, that's all you." Merlyn stated, not even able to look at Gaius while he conducted his 'experiments'.

Lucky for her, she did not have to participate as Arthur and three other guards suddenly entered the room and began rifling through Gaius's things.

"What are you looking for?" asked the physician after pleasantries had been exchanged.

"Anything that could be linked to sorcery." Arthur replied, glancing at Merlyn quickly. She simply tilted her head to the side, studying his stiff demeanor before following the blonde to her room.

"This's my room." She informed him and opened the door, leading only Arthur inside, letting him poke around her mostly clean room. She had made a mess of her desk with various books.

"Do you actually have anything magical in here?" he pondered aloud as he looked through the books, if only to stall.

"I keep a book under my bed." She replied. The prince simply nodded before exiting, calling the guards to him.

"Do you know how much longer it will take, Gaius?"

"That depends on how many interruptions I get." He raised the eyebrow.

"Right, I apologize. We're done here." Arthur informed the other men, getting the feeling that he should retreat as quickly and quietly as possible.

"What have you done with that book I gave you?"

"It's in the floor under my bed." Merlyn replied with a half-hearted grin, her eyes drooping as exhaustion caught up with her momentarily, causing her to sway dangerously.

"Are you alright?" asked Gaius worriedly, leading her to the bench to sit down.

"It's all the death that now taints the air. I am unused to there being so much for such an extended amount of time." She explained before shaking her head to clear it.

"Be careful, the last thing I need is for you to get sick as well."

Merlyn grinned as she avoided Gaius's piercing gaze as she cleaned the mud off of her using magic. While she, Arthur, and Sir Leon had been in the middle of an impromptu mud wrestling match during their training, Gaius had determined the source of the plague was something in the water, and informed her that Gwen's father was sick. Merlyn simply took in his words and nodded, going through her spell book for a cure, only to stop when she found a spell that would put him in a type of stasis. She figured it would work until a non-magical cure could be found, and enacted it that night.

Merlyn grinned in delight the next day when Gwen came to work, not necessarily happy, but less upset than yesterday. Although, Merlyn's happiness was ruined when Arthur came running down the hall, grabbed her by the arm, and hauled her off to his quarters, slamming the door behind them.

"You know that could have been taken the wrong way if anyone saw us." She remarked dryly as the prince flushed mildly.

"Did you cause this disease?" he suddenly asked, and Merlyn gaped at him.

"What?"

"Did you cause the disease!?"

"Are you fucking kidding me!" she half yelled at them, more than aware of the people walking outside in the corridor.

"Just answer the question!"

"How dare you! I have been nothing but honest with you Arthur Pendragon, do not take that lightly!" Merlyn said dangerously with a false-calm.

"Then answer the question." Arthur urged just as dangerously, though now that he was this close, Merlyn could see the doubt and pleading in his eyes. The voices were warring again.

"No."

"No." he repeated almost dumbly.

"No. If I were to do damage to you kingdom, I would cut the head off the snake. I take no pleasure in seeing your people wither and die in front of me." Merlyn explained simply and bluntly.

He seemed momentarily appeased and apologized for his aggressive behavior and, surprisingly, his accusation.

"I do not blame you, blondie. I have asked a lot of you by telling you of my magic despite your upbringing." She replied, both speaking quietly now.

"I am actually a little glad that you did." He remarked after a moment of hesitation, causing her to raise a questioning eyebrow. "You are the first to try and convince me that those with magic can be good."

Merlyn smiled wryly, "But not magic. Magic is still evil in your eyes."

Arthur wanted to deny it. To deny that there could be any evil in the small slip of a girl in front of him, but the first voice still had more power than he would like, and kept his mind constantly vigilant. Even if his heart was not.

"Gaius and I are going to inspect the water supply, hopefully it will yield results." She continued, and Arthur simply nodded in acknowledgement before she left his chambers. He went to the window to wait for her to appear with the old physician.

Merlyn grimaced as her feet left the soft grass for hard rock instead when she followed Gaius into the tunnels that held their water. She didn't see why she had to come along. Gaius was just getting a sample of the water and make sure nothing was running or sitting in it. Not that hard.

She changed her mind when a great, hideous beast broke the surface and scared them off.

"What the bloody hell was that?" demanded the witch when they burst back into their chambers a bit out of breath. The physician ignored his niece as he rifled through a few books until he found the page he was searching for.

"It's an afanc, a creature conjured of dark magic and made of clay." He explained. Merlyn's eyes widened and she began flipping through books as well. "What are you looking for?"

"Langet told me that most dark creatures can be killed with the opposite of that which gives them power. If the afanc is drawing power from the water and earth because it's clay, what's the opposite?"

"Well, fire and air. Any of these books would tell you that." He replied. Merlyn's eyes lit up.

"I'll get Arthur and we'll go kill it, stay here!" she called, belting out of the room and up to Arthur's chambers where she flung open the door and spun inside, ignoring the prince's surprised shout.

"Gaius and I found out there is an afanc in the water, we have to use fire and air to kill it." The witch rushed out and rolled her eyes as the man continued to flounder in his shirtless state. "Oh, please Blondie I've already seen it."

"MERLYN!" it seemed he finally found his words. "Can't you knock? And what the hell is an afanc?"

"No, don't really fancy it. It's a clay creature made by dark magic, got to go now, prat, lives are literally wasting away!" she snapped and waited for him to pull on a shirt before grabbing his arm and sword and hauling him out the castle and into the water supply with surprising speed.

"What exactly am _I_ doing here if you can defeat it on your own?" asked Arthur as he held his sword and a torch in front of him defensively.

"Uther won't believe me if I told him about this, even with Gaius's testimony, besides it's _your _people we have to protect." Merlyn explained as she led him down the tunnels, stopping when they saw a body blur past.

"Right. Thanks Merlyn." The prat bit out in a hiss, and she merely smirked before the afanc made its presence known by knocking her into the blonde.

She scoffed at him and the afanc came back into view, having lost his sword when Merlyn ran into him, Arthur swung the torch at the creature and Merlyn's eyes flashed gold. The wind picked up and caused the flames to wrap around the creature, and it exploded.

They both stood there and panted as adrenaline coursed through their bodies. Arthur watched her with a mixture of wariness and fascination.

"Right, remind me not to incite your anger." He commented dryly, and she cracked a smirk before handing him his sword and jumping on his back, hooking her legs around his hips and her arms around his neck.

"Right, take me back to my chambers, blondie, I'm tired and Gaius is worried." Merlyn commanded and laughed loudly at his disgruntled disposition. Yet, he grudgingly carried her into the castle and dropped her off with a fond smile.

Merlyn smiled in delight as a healed Tom reunited with Gwen, and waited a moment before hugging both her friend and blacksmith tightly.

"I'm so glad you're feeling better now, Tom. I have no idea what I'd do without my favorite blacksmith!" she laughed, and all three caught up with each other's lives, unknowing to the murderous eyes that watched them from a cave far away.

_3322 Words_

_7 Pages_

**AN: Wow, it's been a while since my last update! I did warn you guys though. Fair warning, the next one won't be up for at least a week, depending on if this cold front coming in traps me inside or not. Thank you for reading, and please review if you like!**


	4. Uther's Thoughts

**AN: Thanks to HalliwellBabe, imnotsurereally, saroura92, Nataly SkyPot, Guest, TamashinoSuzume, bookworm18, Lunary, Guest, Turtle Lover 98, shayrulz, animelvr4evr, darkworkangel, and Coolestbee for reviewing! Been a real long while, but I was debating on doing the next episode or this. Take a wild guess on which I picked.**

Uther wasn't sure what was going on in his son's life for once. He was so used to dictating every aspect of it that this new addition was strange and unbalancing. Gaius's niece was unlike any woman he had ever met. She did not use her post as the knights' healer to further her status, and seemed to genuinely enjoy their company. She teased all of them indiscriminately, including his son, and kept them on their toes.

"What an annoying young woman." He muttered to himself as he observed the kinghts' practice from a window cast in shadow. His son was excelling as per usual as well as Sir Leon and some of the more experienced knights. The annoying woman in question was watching them all with a watchful eye even as she bound one of the younger knight's arm, ignoring his obvious flirtations. He couldn't quite contain his mirthful chuckles when she sent him back into practice with a literal kick after he tried to grab her arm.

Interesting indeed. Still, he couldn't help but think that he had picked a good person to care for his son. She was fiery, passionate, and while she did not respect him as a king, she respected him as Arthur's father. And for now, that was good enough. She was not of his kingdom, and while her refusal to acknowledge those in higher positions irked him to know end, he would keep that fact in mind. It almost seemed like too much trouble to keep the girl around, but as he watched his son begin to speak arrogantly and her immediate retaliation, he dismissed that thought entirely.

Disrespectful, quirky, and ill-mannered she may be, yet she was exactly the push Arthur needed to become a greater man than he. Even if she retaliated by taking a long knife out of seemingly nowhere and almost removing his blonde head from his shoulders. There mock fight was interrupted by Sir Leon, but Merlyn simply dragged both into the mud with a wide grin, simultaneously initiating a crude wrestling match that ended with them all caked in dirt but seemingly satisfied. Uther shook his head, missing the days of his youth, and smiled bitterly to himself as he turned to return to his duties. He knew deep down in the darkness of his heart why he really let her remain despite her atrocious behavior, casting one last glance out the window just in time to see Merlyn sitting on the stacked forms of Sir Leon and his son with a victorious smile.

She was just like Ygraine.

_432 Words_

_Less Than a Page_


	5. Poisoned Chalice

**AN: Thanks to TamashinoSuzume, darkworkangel, Nataly SkyPot, saroura92, maraudersbanana, Imnotsurereally, Guest, Lunary, SO-LONG-LOVE, and The Chartreuse Pimpernel for reviewing, as well as everyone who followed and favorited, you guys are the only ones keeping me going! **

Merlyn groaned obnoxiously towards Gaius as she unceremoniously flopped down at his feet in the middle of the hall.

"Gaius." She whined pitifully, looking up at him with a pout, "Why must Bayard come to Camelot? Why couldn't Uther go to Mercia?"

"Because he would never give up such an advantage." Gaius replied and nudged her with his foot too late as a manservant with a high pile of blankets tripped over her, landing on the ground with a strangled yelp.

"I'm so sorry!" the servants rushed out in unison and caught each other's blue eyes. Merlyn inwardly stiffened, but kept an easy smile externally as she returned his load and watched him go. The minute he was around a corner, she narrowed her eyes and her face twisted sourly as she contemplated the strange aura the servant had.

"What is it Merlyn?" asked Gaius from down the hall, motioning for her to follow him. She shook her head and forced a grin on her face as she bounded after her Uncle.

"Nothing! Just an unpleasant smell…"

Merlyn entered Arthur's room just in time to see the prince hold up Morris's outfit for the feast and shook with laughter as she collapsed against his table. Arthur frowned at her intrusion while Morris flushed at her low-cut dress and the fact that she would have to see him in that ridiculous hat.

"What the-hell is-that?" she gasped as she attempted to stand, only to fall to the floor when she caught sight of the feathery hat once more.

"It's the formal robes that Morris is required to wear for the feast." The prince replied as he handed the bundle off to said manservant before turning his full attention on the witch currently recovering composure from his stone floor. "What are you doing in here Merlyn?"

Merlyn immediately sobered and waited for Morris to exit the room and close the door before pulling the prat to the floor with her and leaning over to whisper in his ear, "There is a sorcerer in the castle. I do not know his intentions, only that he reeks of dark magic."

Arthur blushed from his current position and kept his eyes on the ceiling, slowly processing the information given to him. Merlyn retreated from his personal space and stood up, straightening her dress as she headed towards the door.

"Be careful Blondie, it would be annoying if you died before fulfilling your destiny."

"Wait!" he called before he could stop himself. She turned around and waited patiently as the prince stood and tried to find his words. "How can, how can you tell if someone has magic?"

Merlyn smiled almost indulgently. She had been waiting for this question since the beginning. She walked back towards him and took his hand and held it between them palm up.

"There is no feature that marks magic users, it is something inside of us that flows like blood." The witch explained, running her finger along the visible vein of his wrist. "That's what made it so terrible during the Great Purge, because anyone and everyone was taken in."

"Then how do _you _know?" Arthur implored and she dropped his hand in favor of fidgeting with her dress.

"You know how I was saying how there's a certain amount of magic on the earth at one time?"

"Yes."

"When Uther caused the Unbalance and all that magic was taken away, it had to go somewhere. You were born before so you don't have as much as the three of us do. The females took the majority of the magic, the dark male took as much as you were born with, and the rest was spread out amongst the druids and other children that were born in the following years." She explained, "Because I have so much, other magics are…attracted…to me, and make their presence known no matter how unwilling."

"So if we should run into the Dark pair…" he trailed, digesting this new information. He had known this woman for a couple of months and yet he had learned so many things.

"We would recognize each other." Merlyn confirmed with a subtle smirk before turning on her heel and exiting the room to give him space to come to terms with magic once more.

"This is so bloody complicated." Arthur groaned into his hands.

During the feast Arthur kept an eye out for Merlyn and 'suspicious characters'. Morris looked absolutely _dashing_ in the giant feathered hat and stiff, slightly larger robes. He was as red as his outfit the entire time, but he did his duties and kept his goblet full with a weaker wine. Unfortunately, the stronger stuff was reserved for when the toasting to the speeches ended. He knew the minute the witch entered the room for everyone fell silent. He turned to look and was struck dumb. Apparently Morgana had sunk her claws into the girl, for he recognized the ward of the king's old dress that wrapped around Merlyn a little too well. He was a man and damn it if Merlyn wasn't attractive. She wore a simple, deep purple, halter style dress that accentuated her figure without choking it, and fell to the tops of her bare feet. He snorted and approached the two women and Morgana's maid who shadowed them.

"You can't even wear shoes at formal events? It's bad enough you don't when the knights train, Gaius nearly cut our arms off when Sir Garret dropped his sword within three feet of you." The prince complained.

"I think it's good that she's comfortable in her own skin." Morgana chimed in as she wrapped her arm around Merlyn's elbow, pulling her close to her equally pale body.

"Besides Arthur, I can't help it if _your _knights are distracted by my amazing self." Merlyn teased with an over emphasized hair flip that had them all laughing ridiculously.

"Why do I even put up with you two? Alone you're nuisances, together you're plain evil." Arthur groaned good-naturedly, much more at ease with his sister figure and….whatever Merlyn was to him, nearby.

"It's because you're secretly enjoy being beaten by us." Morgana replied immediately and dragged Gwen off with her towards the high table as Uther and Bayard finally entered before he could retaliate. Arthur turned red and opened his mouth to yell after his father's ward, courtesy be damned, when Merlyn straightened and subtly directed his attention towards a tall, handsome manservant that followed Bayard obediently.

"That's him." She warned before joining Gaius off to the side while Arthur took his place, trying not to stare at the sorcerer as Bayard began his long speech, bringing forth a goblet for his father and himself. Morgana seemed to understand the subtle insult for what it was and narrowed her eyes at the arrogant king with a thin mouth.

Merlyn held no subtlety as she examined the sorcerer from across the room, feigning embarrassment when he caught her eyes, and waited as he skirted the edges of the room to her side. His blue eyes feigned worry and fear as he gently took her by the wrist and urged her to a side servant's corridor. He told of the poisoned goblet in broken sentences that was strange for a man and though Merlyn didn't trust him, she had no choice but to interrupt the toast by snatching Arthur's cup straight from his hands, much to everyone's confusion and indignation.

"It's poisoned." She explained to Arthur and Uther, hearing this statement, immediately had Bayard's people surrounded as both king's demanded how she knew.

"He was seen lacing it by someone who would not disclose their identity." The witch explained pointedly and rolled her eyes when Uther demanded she drink it.

"This is ridiculous, give it here Merlyn!" Arthur demanded, reaching for the cup even as Gaius fretted a bit behind his niece.

"No no no no no, the king has made it abundantly clear that you are more important than me." Merlyn replied pointedly before toasting said man sarcastically and drinking only half of the liquid. The rest stained the floor as she collapsed immediately, holding her throat as she tried to breathe.

"Arrest him!" Uther commanded sending the entire room in chaos as the guards and knights rounded up Bayard's party, the female members of the court cried out at the 'death', and Gaius had Arthur pick up Merlyn's seizing body. Gwen was instructed to grab the goblet while Morgana followed close behind, worried for the spunky maidservant she had only just befriended.

"Lay her there, put a cloth on her forehead." Gaius instructed hurriedly after they had reached his chambers. Arthur was surprised at the elder's speed, but thought little of it as he did as instructed, laying his friend out on a cot, leaving Morgana to take care of the cloth. Gwen handed Gaius the goblet and tried to find something to do with herself as he examined it closely.

"Gaius." Merlyn's voice sounded. It was weak and strained as she continued to struggle to breathe. Gaius sent Arthur and Gwen over to her as he tried to determine the poison.

"Merlyn!" Gwen cried in relief as she took the flushed girl's hand in hers, trying to give her strength in the only way she could.

"Shh, don't speak." Morgana bade as she refreshed the cloth, though Merlyn tried to shake her head, eyes somewhat locking onto Arthur after not finding Gaius.

"I need (gasp) you to go to (gasp) my home." She struggled to say.

"Gwen! Go back to the hall and see if there is any of that liquid left, please! My lady, please go get some rest, there is nothing you can do for Merlyn now." Gaius 'suggested' and the women went about their tasks, equally reluctant to leave their friend.

"I don't know where your home is!" the prince protested. He sat beside her torso and took a hand in his, her over heated flesh causing him to frown in concern.

"I know the general vicinity, sire." Gaius spoke and tsked when he pulled a flower petal off of the inside of the goblet. He immediately went to his books to begin his search.

"Ask for Langet, Mordred, or (gasp) Iseldir." The witch instructed before passing out finally.

"This comes from the Morteus flower, you better hope Merlyn's people has some of it." The physician stated and instructed the prince on where to begin his search. Arthur went to leave, but Gaius leveled him with a look that stopped him in his tracks.

"Merlyn may trust you for reasons I do not know, but if you betray her now in favor of Uther's ideology, I _will_ kill you in the slowest agonizing way I possibly can. I'm old, I do not have long left on this world anyways."

This was the second time he had been threatened by his doctor. Arthur knew he was walking a very fine line with the man he thought he knew all about, but respected him for his loyalty to his family. However, it was doing nothing for the voices he heard in his mind. The Pendragon voice, the one that sounded like his father, was at its weakest point yet, his worry for his friend shoving it into submission. The Once and Future King voice, the one that wanted to give magic a chance, held more power, but was not dominating. It was the third voice, the one without name, the one who only wished to protect Merlyn from the evils of magic and keep her by his side, that held the most power, and it was that voice that dictated his next actions.

"I will _never _betray the trust she has in me, not unless she becomes a murderer. And if that were to ever happen, I would kill myself, for I would have failed in my duty to protect her. Even if it is from herself."

Gaius seemed pleased, if surprised, at his answer and ushered him out just in time for Gwen to rush back in, a soaked cloth in hand. Gaius took the wine stained fabric out of her hands and wrung it out as he worked to determine if there was some way to slow the effects.

Arthur fumed as he paced his room. His father had denied him from going after a cure. The only reason he still breathed was because his genuine remorse for Merlyn's predicament appeased the third voice. But only just. Mind made up, he equipped his sword and threw on a darker cloak. He snuck into the stables and mounted the fastest horse they had before taking off, ignoring the guards as they tried to stop him. The Pendragon tried to slow him down, but was fought by the Once and Future King, leaving the Unknown to rule his actions unhindered. He rode for several hours before he slowed down, a young boy tilting his head curiously at him from his perch in a tree.

"You feel strange." He said and nodded to himself, as if coming to a decision. "You must be the prince Merlyn's guarding."

"And you are?" Arthur questioned. The boy remained blank-faced as he slid down the trunk of his temporary seat, Arthur, too, dismounted and looked down at the boy who took hold of his cloak with narrowed eyes.

"Mordred, where is my sister?"

Arthur could feel _something_ around him, and partially understood what Merlyn meant about magic flowing through a person. He didn't have the time to dwell on it. Merlyn didn't have the time.

"She's been poisoned. She told me to come here." The prince explained, and Mordred looked a mixture of worried and panicked as he led the blonde to a well-hidden cave.

"Father and Iseldir aren't here, but Balinor is!" he muttered to himself, before breaking into a run, leaving the older man to jog after him.

"Balinor! Merlyn's been poisoned!" the druid boy announced as he ducked under a cloth that separated a gruff looking man from the rest of the cave. Said man instantly put his guard up and eyed Arthur's armored and armed form warily.

"With what and who is this?" Balinor's voice was deep and not rough but definitely not smooth.

"Gaius said a Morteus flower and I am Arthur, Merlyn looks after my knights and I." Arthur introduced respectfully, but rapidly.

Balinor nodded and started flipping through the few books that were stacked and sitting upon a thick fur. Mordred helped after a brief hesitation, but it was all for naught, as Balinor found what they were looking for first. It was a pressed, yellow flower that still had the leaves connected to the base. Arthur reached for it and wrapped his hand around it gently but firmly, only to have Balinor grab his arm in a heavy grip.

"This is the only one of its kind within five days ride. If you lose this or it gets destroyed, that's it, she's dead." He warned, his underlying threat rang through the air. Arthur nodded seriously and bowed to both dark haired males.

"I understand. Merlyn is important to me, I will do all I can to help her." He vowed. It seemed good enough for Balinor, for he released the blonde and pushed him towards the mouth of the cave system. Arthur ran off and mounted his horse, tucking the flower into a pouch at his hip.

When the prince made it back to Camelot, the guards were waiting and tried to stop him. However, Arthur had only one goal in mind, and the men on duty had no desire to be trampled by a horse, no matter the king's orders. The prince dismounted before the horse came to a stop, and bolted up the steps, heading towards Gaius's chambers. He was nearly there when an arm shot out and pulled him behind a door just in time for a pair of guards to pass by. Arthur looked up in surprise to see Sir Leon was the one to keep him out of trouble if only for the moment.

"Sir Leon…?" he trailed off questioningly as the knight gave the all clear signal and lead him through a servant's passage that let out at the base of the steps leading up to Gaius and Merlyn.

"She's my friend, too, sire. Besides, it's late, who can blame me if I happened to accidentally fall asleep while waiting for a wayward prince to return?"

Arthur nodded approvingly and patted his friend on the shoulder as he entered the physician's chamber, handing the flower to an over-eager Gaius before quickly striding over to Merlyn's side. The poor girl was sweating through her gown that Gwen must have put her in as she laid extremely still. If it weren't for the ragged breathing, he wouldn't have known she was even alive. Gwen hurried in at that moment, coming back from putting Morgana to bed no doubt, and froze at the sight of Arthur, releasing a huge sigh of relief and giving him a firm hug. She turned to Gaius and went to fetch a pail of water at his behest eagerly. Arthur nearly jumped when Gaius used magic to do _something _to the potion he had created. The elder raised an eyebrow at him challengingly, but said nothing more as he mixed the water with the concoction, Gwen stood beside the door uncertainly as Gaius approached his niece, Arthur moving to give him space, just as Sir Leon entered, looking to Arthur.

"The king is coming, sire." He informed and Gaius muttered under his breath as he practically forced the potion down Merlyn's throat. They all gathered at the foot of the bed hopefully as Merlyn seemed to regain some color before she stopped breathing altogether. Gwen let out a cry of despair and buried her face into Gaius's chest. Sir Leon bowed his head, but Arthur kept a watchful eye on the woman, something told the Unknown that this was not over quite yet.

"Ugh, that is disgusting, you should be ashamed of yourself, Uncle!" Merlyn's tease echoed in the room, and everyone sighed in relief. Merlyn was grinning weakly, but cheerily at them all, and the Unknown acted on instinct.

Merlyn gasped in surprise when Arthur planted his mouth on hers, too surprised to react as their three spectators gaped at the prince's audacity. He soon pulled away, his face flushed as if just realizing what he did, but a throat clearing behind them made the two tense. Arthur didn't turn around as he greeted the interloper.

"Hello father."

_3,106 Words_

_6 Pages_

**AN: Buh buh buuuuuh! I'm evil, but at least, this one didn't take over two months to be uploaded….**


	6. AN

**AN:** I would like to apologize for how long it's taking me to write this next chapter, but I'm finding it difficult to actually put the pieces together. I'm offering two options for all you wonderful readers, as I know how frustrating it is to wait for a chapter. I can either:

Keep writing this chapter though it may take a while yet

Or

Skip this chapter and just give a short summary of the important stuff in the next

Let me know what you think please, and thank you for your continued support!


	7. Lancelot

**AN: Thanks to everyone for reviewing, there were too many to count this time! As well as those who have favorited and followed, you guys are wonderful! To those who responded to my AN thank you very much, and as you can see I have decided to stick with this episode, though I think that wasn't the wisest of decisions considering it's taken me so long to write the damn thing. **** Here you go!**

Merlyn was not pouting. She _wasn't_. She was just vaguely upset that because _Arthur _had kissed _her_ and as the Kinghad seen, she had been stuck with gathering any and all herbs Gaius needed instead of stitching the knights back together after they did something stupid during training. It was Uther's fault for making her drink the poison that nearly killed her, and therefore drove Arthur to assure himself of her continued existence with momentary lip contact.

_No point in wasting a perfectly good day, though _the witch thought with a glance at the clear, blue sky. It was a moment later that an enraged shriek pierced the air, and it was another before she fully comprehended that a _bloody griffin_ was charging at her from whichever pit he had dragged himself out of. She was about to kill, or at least scare it off, with a blast of her magic when a figure tackled her to the ground beside a fallen log. He—for that was most definitely a masculine build—then proceeded to try to fight the beast off with only a sword, that shattered the instant it hit the beast's skin. Merlyn grabbed hold of the man's arm and yanked him beside her as the agitated beast left for easier prey, carving a path straight through where he was once standing.

"Thanks for that, my name's Merlyn." She introduced with an easy smile.

"Lancelot." The man replied before promptly fainting. Merlyn could have screamed in frustration when she saw the blood staining his shirt. This had better not be another knight who thought himself invincible no matter the challenge. When she noted that she would have to drag Lancelot's sorry arse back to Camelot, she was eternally grateful for the magic that would lighten the load, and the fact that she was wearing trousers.

Merlyn huffed as she let Lancelot slip off her shoulder and onto the ground gently. She was in the courtyard of the Citadel and waited for a knight to come and question her so she could guilt trip them into doing the dirty work for her.

"Merlyn?"

Ask and you shall receive, Iseldir always said.

"Sir Leon!" the witch replied cheerily and spun around to greet the knight, only to beam when she noticed he had a friend. "Sir Ewan! It's good to see you again!"

"Merlyn." The darker skinned knight greeted and lifted an eyebrow at the limp body next to her. "Who is your friend there, then?"

"Oh! This is Lancelot, I was out gathering herbs because Uther is trying to keep me away from his son, even though it was Arthur who kissed me, when I was attacked by a griffin and this idiot bodily tackled me to the ground and scared it off, but it turns out that he got hit and fainted from blood loss." She spoke quickly, blindsiding them with information.

Sir Leon seemed worried about the fact that she had been attacked, while Sir Ewan looked at her in shocked horror. He didn't know about the assurance of life through lip contact apparently. Surprising, considering the knights had been gossiping about it like old ladies.

"Sigh, why is it, I'm the one carrying the bodies for you all the time?" Leon asked as he lifted the unconscious man onto his shoulder with a grunt.

"Because, Arthur's the one who digs the grave, if you don't like your assignment, take it up with him." She grinned and led the knights to Gaius's chambers where the physician took one look at them and directed the body to a cot in the corner.

"Prep those herbs I sent you for, I'll clean up this mess." Eyebrow of Doom activated.

Merlyn smiled nervously at her guardian, but complied nonetheless with her task. Leon had decided to hover at her side at this point, and Ewan strangely loitered by the cot where Gaius worked. The knight tried to distract her and get her to slip up, she nearly cut off his prodding fingers in retaliation with a nearby knife.

"Is there a reason you're still here, Sirs?" Gaius questioned absently as he tied off the bandage, satisfied with his work.

"Arthur wants us at the training field five minutes ago." Leon answered and swore when the lithe form beside him smacked the back of his head.

"Couldn't have told me that earlier? Blondie's going to kill me!" Merlyn hissed and rushed into her room while braiding her hair back, Sir Leon's laughter following as he went to the door.

"If it's the same to you, I'd like to watch our guest for when he wakes up." Sir Ewan replied and sat by the unconscious man when Gaius nodded in approval.

"You know him?" asked Merlyn when she came back out with a tie being wrapped around the end of her braid.

"If he is who he says he is, he's my cousin."

"Wonderful news! I wish I could chat longer but Prince Prat is going to try to chop off my head and I'd like to be in an open area to run." The witch called with a genuine smile as she dashed out the door, closing it behind her so Sir Leon ran into it in his haste to follow.

"MERLYN!" he shouted after her, the returning mischievous giggle causing Gaius to roll his eyes as the most trusted knight in the castle gave chase.

"Put me down!" Merlyn laughed from Sir Leon's shoulder, attracting the knights' attention as well as Arthur's.

"Did you gents hear something?" he feigned as he spun around quickly in a circle, Merlyn hitting his back harshly in retaliation as her head spun.

"If you two would like to grow up sometime soon." Arthur growled, grabbing the ravenette's arm as she stumbled into him. She looked up at him with her deep blue eyes innocently.

"Is that optional?"

Arthur nearly ripped his hair out. This woman was so infuriating. He put her out of his mind for the moment and turned to a knight-hopeful that was trying out today. He had yet to accept a new knight in the past three months which was alarming to say the least.

"Right you jumped up dung beetle, this is the final test. Pass and you're a knight of Camelot, fail and you become no one. You face the most feared of all foes, an ultimate killing machine. You face me." He told the boy—for that was most definitely not a man regardless of his true age. Unfortunately, his opponent was defeated in ten seconds after he recklessly charged head first. What were these Lords teaching their sons these days? Was there a book on how to be cannon fodder?

"That's the third one in a month Morris!" the prince complained as his servant relieved him of his armor while trying to be as far from the irate man as possible.

"If you want a real knight you should try Lancelot, he scared off a griffin that attacked me this morning." The bane of his existence commented as she helped Morris after making sure the humiliated knight-hopeful—_what was his name again?_—didn't suffer a concussion.

"What on earth is a griffin? And why would it attack you?" asked Morris, brown eyes fixed on the healer beside him. Arthur was pretty sure his servant thought Merlyn had hung the moon with how much he admired the spitfire of a woman.

"Griffins are aggressive magical beasts and I was alone in the woods since Uther saw Prince Prat assure himself of my existence through momentary lip contact." Merlyn replied with a grin, throwing him a dark look at the end while he tried to contain his blush.

"Is this _Lancelot _of noble birth?" Arthur questioned, genuinely interested in a chance to welcome someone formidable into his ranks.

"Sir Ewan claims he is his cousin."

"Tell him to bring the seal of his house and I will test him." He conceded and walked to his chambers to change into something more presentable. What he didn't notice was the newly awakened Lancelot himself standing on the sidelines with Sir Ewan as they had watched the 'fight' and heard the conversation in full.

"I should thank you Merlyn for giving me this opportunity. It has been a dream of mine since I was a boy to become a knight." Lancelot spoke as he tried to avoid meeting Gwen's eyes. The maid was currently measuring him for armor and was kneeling before him.

"You're the one who saved me, Lance. And it was Sir Ewan who claimed you as part of his family. Besides, everyone should be given a chance to prove themselves." The witch replied and tried to hide her amused smile from her friends when they turned to look at her. Gwen's glare said that she failed.

"Well, I'm all done, it should be ready in a few days." The dark skinned woman stated and went to put her materials up.

"Thank you Gwen." Lancelot bade and the two got lost in each other's eyes. Merlyn rolled her eyes at their obvious attraction and left before she 'accidentally' tripped one of them into the other. There was no time for waiting in a danger prone city such as this.

"Are you sure about this Merlyn? He's only been in training for a few days." Gwen worried, her hands twisting the fabric of her dress.

"He'll be fine, bite down on this Sir Matthew." She assured. She put a leather strip between the knight's teeth and motioned for two other knights to pin his shoulders and right leg to the ground as she took a knife off of a fire and moved to his left leg. Gwen cringed away from her friend as she used the sterilized blade to open the skin of his calf around an arrow that was embedded deep to the bone. Sir Matthew yelled in pain, and everyone cringed at the sound, as Merlyn had forced all the knights to watch what happens when you get wounded and don't tell her about it.

"I'm genuinely terrified of you Merlyn." Sir Ewan forced out as the healer removed the arrow from the swollen, infected flesh before proceeding to clean the wound out, put a salve on it, bandaged it up, and sent the half-dead knight off with strict instructions and a few potions Gaius had given her…all with a care free expression. Everyone present seemed to agree if the paleness of their faces were anything to go off of, except Morris, who looked even more in awe of the woman he had convinced nearly everyone he thought she had given birth to the sun and painted the stars.

"If you men would just tell me when you get hurt, then this would be a less common sight. Let's leave stupidity to the rookies, yes?" her smile was so bright it was sickening.

"Noted Merlyn. Now if I may have my knights back?" Arthur spoke from across the field, a blonde eyebrow raised pointedly. She shot him a look that clearly said 'Shut it' and the eyebrow went back down.

"Would you prefer them in one piece or several? I hope you know that if a wound gets infected and isn't tended in time I have to amputate. Back in my village there was this one man who was bathing in a lake and a snapping turtle bit off his—"

"MERLYN!" the prince shouted. His face was aflame with anger and eyes wide in horror. The knights that had been encircled around her backed away quickly looking distinctly green.

"It's true! Anyways he didn't tell anyone because he was so embarrassed and—" she continued, her face bright with excitement as she made indecipherable hand motions. Morris, the strange fool that he was, looked elated at hearing her speak and was enraptured in her broken tale.

"We do not have time to dawdle. Lancelot, present your seal and the test will begin." He instructed drawing his men's attention and leaving Merlyn pouting.

Arthur fought Lancelot and while impressed with the man's potential, was disappointed when he fell. He bent over to grab the flag from the man's waist when Lancelot kicked his feet out from under him. The prince was peripherally aware of the sudden tension and suspicion in Merlyn's form before she relaxed as Lancelot withdrew and was forced to his knees by Sir Leon and Sir David. The blonde grinned as he stood and instructed everyone to the main hall where Lancelot was promptly knighted.

Merlyn radiated pride as she stood a little behind Arthur at the celebration for Lancelot's knighting. She was wearing her usual distracting ensemble of an off the shoulder black dress with a dark red lace covering over top. Obviously another cast off from Morgana. The two women had become even closer much to Arthur's dismay, but the richer, more fitted clothes was an unexpected boon he was not yet willing to give up. Her hair was thrown on top of her head with a few strands brushing against the paleness of her neck. He didn't look in her direction as he ate, chatting with his knights and trying to ignore his hyperawareness of her when she came close to fill their cups.

"I was not aware you drank so much, Sir Leon." She commented casually as she filled the usually refined knight's cup. The man in question merely grinned and took a long drink before offering the goblet to her much to her apparent surprise.

"Would you like some? Perhaps then you would see why I am so enamored with it." Leon tried to pull a regal tone but ended up sounding ridiculous and she shifted uncomfortably a moment.

"I am not aware of the social norms of Camelot yet Sir Leon, but where I come from offering someone to share in drink is the equivalent of proposing a courtship or even marriage." Merlyn explained and walked to the opposite side of the table while he spluttered and the other knights laughed raucously. Arthur laughed as well but was disconcerted by an abrupt tightness in his chest, the Unknown shifting uneasily.

The witch went off to talk with Gwen and Morgana while Morris took her place in attending their table. She immediately regretted her decision though as the Lady grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her into their conversation. Gwen was as red as her dress already and looked like she was about to fall through the floor.

"If you had to choose one of the knights, who would it be?" the King's Ward questioned just low enough to pass for a whisper. Being her blunt self, Merlyn replied immediately and without hesitation.

"Arthur."

Morgana shot her a half-disgusted look and turned Gwen who stood gaping at Merlyn in astonishment. "How can you say that so confidently and quickly?" the maid demanded almost in desperation.

Merlyn shrugged. "Arthur will always come first in my mind."

Gwen gulped when their eyes turned back to her and muttered under her breath, "Oh for god's sake why is this even important?"

"Why do you keep trying to avoid it? Merlyn answered." Morgana replied with her devilish grin that only got wider when Merlyn asked for her opinion. "Oh, Sir Leon for sure."

Merlyn started laughing hysterically as she stumbled away to support herself against a nearby table, unknowingly dragging the attention of Arthur and the other knights as Gwen tried to get her to stop, but she ended up sinking to the ground as she laughed even harder.

"Yeah, okay okay." The witch giggled and took a few breaths and burst into quiet laughter every time she looked at Morgana or Sir Leon.

"Lancelot." Gwen mumbled finally in a high squeak and rushed off to the other side of the room to hide her burning face even as Morgana and Merlyn shared a knowing look and shook their heads at each other.

"Honestly, you should have seen them when I took Lance to get measured for some armor, I felt like their eyes were going to drill holes into each other's heads." The healer rolled her eyes and sighed when Arthur called her over. Morgana waved her off and went to fetch her maid.

"I was not aware you were capable of laughter, Merlyn." The blond teased nonchalantly, the witch swatted at his head fondly and roved her gaze over Lancelot and Sir Leon appraisingly before snorting.

"I was not aware your knights were capable of attracting women."

Protests immediately rose up as the drunks tried to defend their egos, but Arthur just laughed—for what felt like the first time in years—and ignored his father's questioning gaze as he directed his full attention onto the Knights' Healer. She shot him occasional, amused looks as his men tried to leave to return to their rooms, only for most to trip and lay sprawled all across the floor. Many servants and the soberest of knights picked the drunkards up and hauled them off gradually until only a few people still lingered in the hall. His father was still speaking with a few of his advisors around his throne, some maids were clearing up the mess and spilled drink, and Arthur still sat at his table with Merlyn beside him. They talked of unimportant things, old hunting trips, the latest death encounter Sir Leon had had, just mindless things to keep them away from their most pressing concern: the griffin.

"I do believe it is time to retire, Blondie. It has been a long few days and they'll only get longer." Merlyn said and helped the prince to his feet. He threw an arm around her, trying to ignore the pale skin of her shoulders that sent sparks running up and down it, and allowed her to drag him off towards his chambers.

"You know I don't think I thanked you for saving my life." He slurred as she shut the door behind them with her foot before moving to drop him on his bed.

"Your father already did that for you, remember? He put me in charge of the care of you and your knights, not a small task." Merlyn replied patiently as she pulled his shoes off and helped him with his coat that his arms had got caught in.

"No no no no but _I _did not thank you. That time or the others." The blonde insisted and sat up as he pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it on the floor.

"You have saved my life as well. There is no need." She said and tossed the clothes in a basket with the other washing for Morris. As her back was to him, she did not realize he had moved until she turned and found him standing just behind her, his face serious despite the slightly glossy look in his eyes from the alcohol.

"But there is. I am exceedingly grateful to you and all you have done. You risked coming to Camelot on pain of death, and yet you still stay and told me of your magic. I will not ever betray your trust in me for as long as you remain by my side."

Arthur didn't understand where the words he was saying were coming from. The Three were all silent as they observed this interaction, as it was new for all of them. Even more surprising is that the Unknown hadn't reared his head in a while, usually it took every opportunity to drown out the other two. Merlyn was similarly confused, but she could not deny that her heart beat a little faster as her prince backed her against his wardrobe, one hand cupping her cheek as the other slipped around her waist. She felt as if she were in a daze as she mirrored his actions and her eyes became heavy as he brushed his lips against hers.

"Arthur." She whispered against his mouth and wrapped her arms around his neck as he pressed more firmly against her mouth, gently coaxing her to respond with a playful nip at her bottom lip. She grinned and kissed him back with everything in her, the intensity building as desperation began to well within them. Merlyn felt the cold of the wardrobe fade as Arthur pulled her completely into his body, the arm on her waist becoming heavier as the hand on her cheek moved to her hair to pull her head back gently to give him access to her neck.

"Merlyn." The prince groaned as he kissed down the uncovered expanse of skin, stopping half way to draw the skin of her neck into his mouth and sucking vigorously. The witch took a page out of his books and threaded her fingers through his hair and pulled his head back so she could return the favor, her teeth running down his neck to his collarbone where she sank them into his skin, drawing blood. He hissed as the pain cleared his head and he took a step back from her to give them distance as they caught their breaths.

"I have to say, that was one hell of a thank you. I should save you more often." Merlyn smirked and waved a hand over herself, healing her bruised lips and straightening her dress out.

"Good night Arthur." She bade with a genuine, happy smile as she slipped out of his room, leaving him dumbstruck and standing in the middle of his room like an idiot.

"What the _hell _was that!?" he exploded on himself and threw some things around before sinking into his bed. He couldn't believe he had let go of his restraint and taken advantage of Merlyn.

'_She wasn't complaining._' The Unknown whispered and his body became rigid as he realized why he hadn't heard it in the past few days. He had been feeling strange lately, wilder, more aggressive and protective of his things. He chalked it up to the recent attacks and deaths. Now he knew. Oh he knew. Somehow the Unknown was influencing him, and that was something that could not be allowed to continue. Especially when it put Merlyn at risk. His resolve grew as the Unknown began to rage, and he locked it up within him, The Once and Future King and The Pendragon looking on as he put walls up around the third voice. He wouldn't allow it to hurt the one's he loved.

How was he to know his actions would do the opposite?

**AN: Annnnd scence. Rude I know, but I figured you guys have waited long enough, and I'm still having writers block, so! As this is actually **_**longer **_**than my usual chapters, I decided to go ahead and post it today! That being said, there is no way I am going to be able to get the rest of this episode written by the end of this year, I'm going to summarize it at the beginning of the next chapter.**

**BUT I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU GUYS PAY ATTENTION REAL QUICK YOU HAVE TWO CHOICES:**

**Lancelot can stay in Camelot and become part of events or**

**He can go his own way like in canon**

_8 Pages_

_3768 Words_


	8. A Cure For All Ills

_Lancelot is staying in Camelot! So a short summary: Merlyn helped with the refugees and saves Arthur when the griffin attacks the square by bringing two torches and both fending it off. She stays behind when the knights go after the griffin to master the spell and finds Arthur barely conscious, Lancelot about to charge. She enchants the weapon, Lancelot kills it, and Uther honors him with another celebration while Arthur tries to stay out of Merlyn's way (but it's not working well don't worry). Lancelot is not sure what to do with his knowledge of Merlyn's magic and is watching her for now-especially with her being so close to Arthur._

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* * *

Arthur peered around a corner slowly, creeping down the hall when he saw it was clear. He quickly ran down it and slipped into his chambers, slamming the door in his haste. He groaned and set his forehead against it as he tried to calm down.

He had been avoiding Merlyn like the plague since his realization. It started out subtly, not seeking her out to tend to minor wounds, making Morris bandage up anything and everything that Merlyn didn't have to see. Of course, being the perceptive woman she is, she immediately noticed and tried to talk to him, so it quickly escalated to this. A prince sneaking around his own home like a thief in the night.

His knights had caught on as well and had taken Merlyn's side (_was there a side to take?)_ or remained a neutral party and made bets as to how long he could continue his charade before he inevitably cracked and would 'stop this nonsense' as Sir Leon had so eloquently demanded a week into his weird behavior. Either way, his knights had started to try and corner him into Merlyn's vicinity and it was starting to-

"Long day?" Arthur froze, not even daring to breathe before he tried to wrench the door open, only to find it locked magically with an ominous click. He slowly turned to face the woman sitting on the edge of his table, nonchalantly twisting her hair through her fingers. Morris was making his bed and looked over to answer when he spotted the blonde and quickly ducked down to return to his task.

"Long enough." he replied evenly, cooling his expression as he went behind his changing screen to change out of his practice clothes and into another set that Morris had already laid out for him.

Merlyn hummed in acknowledgement and he tried to focus on dressing himself, but his ears were straining themselves to hear her. He cursed inwardly at himself. Before, he knew exactly how to deal with this woman, and now he was like a frightened boy discovering girls for the first time. He hoped it didn't have to do with the Unknown being locked up, because that was staying in it's cage for a long time if he had his way.

"If I didn't know any better, I would say that you're avoiding me Arthur." Merlyn practically sang. He heard the shifting of the fabric of her dress as she-most likely-slid off the table. Then he heard her soft footsteps closing in on the screen. He tugged his shirt over his head quickly and skirted past her before she could trap him.

"And why would i have to avoid you, _Mer_lyn?" Arthur mocked, trying to mask his panic with the Pendragon. Morris had fled it seemed (_traitor)_ leaving him to try and keep the blasted woman across the table from him. Her deep blue eyes blazed as she glared at him, her mouth set in a firm line.

"I have no idea," her eyes narrowed even further and he felt sweat gather at the back of his neck, "_care to enlighten me?_"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He denied.

"MERLYN!" Gwen cried, bursting through the door suddenly, saving Arthur from her scrutiny for now. "Morgana has fallen ill! She won't wake up no matter what i do!"

"Where is she?" The witch demanded, completely forgetting her previous conversation in favor of following her fellow servant through the halls to Morgana's chambers. Arthur was right behind them, shouting for Morris. He took a moment to marvel at the fact that he was chasing her instead of being chased-for once in a long while-before returning to the task at hand.

"Gaius, what's wrong?" Merlyn questioned, running her own diagnostic over the King's ward. Uther stood by the window, Gaius and Merlyn on either side of Morgana's bed, and Arthur, Gwen, and Morris off to the side.

"I believe it is an inflammation of the brain." The physician replied, old hands checking her ears and nose for blood and finding none.

"Without a blow to the head or symptoms?"

"It's possible." Gaius defended.

"Just not common in young adults." Merlyn countered. She closed her eyes and ran her magic across Morgana's forehead and down her cheeks, playing it off as checking her temperature. She immediately recoiled and ran to empty her stomach when she sensed something moving inside the ward's head, gorging itself on her brain. Arthur took off after her. Both missed Gaius and the King's dark gazes.

"What's wrong?" The prince asked, having found her in an alcove a hallway away from Morgana's chambers.

"Th-there is something _eating _her brain. It isn't harmful yet, but if we can't stop it Morgana is going to die." Merlyn replied, white as a sheet.

Arthur put a tentative hand to her shoulder. After all his avoidance of her these past few weeks, he didn't want to ruin it with a hug.

"Um, it will be alright?" He said, unused to being in such a situation. Merlyn snorted, wiping her face down with her sleeve. She shoved him away from her and stood up, heading back for Morgana.

"You need to work on that, blondie. Try it with more confidence next time, that tone inspires doubt." She lectured and slipped around the corner.

"_Blasted woman._" Arthur grumbled fondly, peeling himself off the floor. "_Always with the lectures."_

* * *

Two days passed, and Morgana had yet to improve. Merlyn and Gwen practically lived in the ward's room, taking turns caring for her. Arthur felt useless against this unknown enemy. It would have been easier if there was someone to strike down, or an antidote to fetch, but there was neither.

He and his knights also worried for their healer. If she wasn't looking for a cure magically, she was at Morgana's side. She had become practically unresponsive after Gaius had determined that Morgana would likely die within the next night if no cure was found.

"Excuse me sire, but i hear that the Lady Morgana has fallen ill."

Arthur turned from where he was about to enter the castle to see a man, face covered in badly healed burns and clad in dirty, fraying robes.

"What of it?" he snapped.

Even the servants had learned not to cross the Merlyn-reformed-now-normally-kind prince since Morgana got sick. Many thought he worried for the Lady, but his closer knights knew that it was more Merlyn's drop in health and presence that was upsetting the prince then Morgana. For all his attempts to avoid the woman, now that it was actually working he was feeling the pain of losing his best friend.

"I have a cure for all ills." the man claimed. Arthur continued to stare at him unimpressed. "I will remain at the inn if you change your mind."

Morris gaped at his master as the blond watched the man hobble away dispassionately. "My lord, he could save Morgana!"

"Perhaps." Arthur replied evenly, leading his servant towards Morgana's chambers. Usually he would jump at the chance to rescue not only his friend, but Merlyn as well. However, the witch seemed to have more of an influence than she realized. He had looked into that man's eyes and saw only hate and darkness. From the burns that covered his body, Arthur wouldn't be surprised if he got them from the purges his father literally ignited. "Go fetch four dinners and some broth from the kitchens, if you would, Morris."

"Four?" Morris questioned. Arthur seemed a little scattered lately, but surely he could still achieve simple math.

"You haven't eaten, yes?" the prince questioned rhetorically, waving his servant off before entering Morgana's chambers.

Gwen was sleeping on the makeshift bed she and Merlyn had made and shared behind Morgana's screen, Morgana still laid in her bed, and Merlyn was seated beside the ward. The healer was bathing the woman's face, neck, and arms with a cloth and bowl of scented water, not even looking up at Arthur's entrance.

"I met a peculiar man just now." he spoke softly, coming to sit opposite Merlyn and taking the cloth from her grasp to clean Morgana's other side.

"Did you?" she wondered politely, voice weary and rough from disuse.

Arthur peered up at her from beneath his lashes. Any slight tan that she may have had, had already started to fade. Dark bruises laid beneath dulled blue eyes, and her long hair was tied back in a loose, sloppy braid.

"Mhm," Arthur confirmed, "he claimed to have a 'cure for all ills'. He's staying in the inn."

"That _bastard_!" Merlyn shouted, startling Gwen awake as the healer shot up off the bed, more energy in her now then had been for days. "How dare he-!"

"MERLYN!" Arthur yelled over his raging friend, grabbing her shoulders to make her focus. "Calm down! Tell me what's happening."

Gwen helped Morris bring in the food after the manservant almost tripped through the doorway. Both servants pretended to ignore the intimacy between their friends and give them privacy. They weren't making it an easy task by any means. Both of them had captivating presences and were beautiful to begin with, but together, they were absolutely enthralling.

"His name is Edwin. He's a sorcerer that enchants a beetle into the skull of his victims where they feast on the brain. Once they are deemed hopeless by their loved ones, Edwin appears and enchants the beetle out, miraculously saving the ailed." Merlyn explained, fury turning her eyes a dark blue.

"How do you know this, Merlyn?" Asked Gwen cautiously.

"You two do not know, but i was raised among the druids for many years. There is this figure that they all revere above all else: Emrys. Edwin planted a beetle within my head to save me, in a bid to win favor with Emrys." Merlyn explained, crossly.

"What happened?" Morris's eyes were shining. Merlyn's strength was truly unparalleled. He glanced at his master quickly. Maybe not, but definitely better than almost anyone.

"My father and Langet found him out. They were furious. They forced him to cure me, then had word sent to all other druids. Usually they welcome anyone into their camps, but Edwin is welcome nowhere."

"How do we help her, then?" Arthur demanded.

"We need Edwin to remove the beetle, but once his use no longer exists, i will kill him." Merlyn promised.

"Merlyn!" Gwen gasped.

"You can't-" Arthur added. The Unknown was slamming against his cage, and it seemed the other two sides of him were helping him try to escape. Under no condition would he allow her to murder someone purposefully.

"The hell i can't! After what he did to me...it took the druids a year to heal me, it was months after that before i could even function properly." Merlyn snarled. "Who knows how many other people he's done the same to?"

"He will be brought to justice, but you are _not _killing him." Arthur retorted. They glared at each other with all they had. Morris cautiously broke their stand off by giving them their portions as well as the broth for Morgana.

"Thank you, Morris." Merlyn sighed, eating quickly so she could feed her stricken friend. The manservant beamed at her praise and ate beside Gwen.

"What do we do next?"

Merlyn and Arthur shared a glance quickly. Merlyn quickly ate her food before starting the long process of putting food in Morgana's stomach. Arthur turned to face Gwen, blue eyes dark with a seriousness the maid had never seen in the years she had known him.

"We let him into the castle, let him heal Morgana, but he will not be leaving with his head still on his body."

Gwen inhaled sharply.

"Prat!" Merlyn muttered to herself. She had been leading and protecting her people for several years, she could defend herself. She didn't need nor want him to intervene. Arthur's eyes lightened to their usual sky blue as he shot a playful glare at the woman.

"What was that _Mer_lyn? You want to visit the stocks?"

Gwen and Morris let out similar sighs of relief, watching their two friends bicker like they always did. Both looked more alive in this one moment than they had since Arthur had got it in his mind to avoid Merlyn for some reason. They feared the feeling of _life _the two created dying like it had before. Neither had noticed how comfortable and safe the two in front of them had made them feel until it was ripped from them. They wouldn't let that happen again. Not without a fight.

* * *

Arthur forcefully put a mix of hope and worry on his face as he followed his father and Edwin to Morgana's chambers. It took some convincing, but eventually Uther had agreed to allow the burned man to examine his ward. Arthur passed the two men to open the door, spotting Merlyn at Morgana's side-as usual-tending to her fever while Gaius leaned against the far wall, awaiting their arrival.

"How is she?" Uther demanded, as Edwin shuffled around, examining the Lady, white handkerchief in hand.

"Still no change, i fear she will not last the night." Gaius answered readily, eyeing Edwin with the dreaded eyebrow raised in suspicion.

"Ah! Looks like bleeding from the brain, sire." Edwin piped up, holding the handkerchief up, though now it was stained with red. He looked to Gaius. "I assume you administered herbs to promote blood flow?"

"No, Merlyn has tended to the Lady Morgana in my stead. There are still many wounds needing taken care of from the griffin a few weeks ago." Gaius denied, surprising the man.

"You?" He questioned, shooting a disbelieving look Merlyn's way. She narrowed her eyes at him angrily.

"I am the healer in charge of the knights. I am more than capable of determining if she has a brain hemorrhage or not." She spat venomously. Arthur discreetly brushed his hand across her shoulder as he reached for Morgana's hand.

"Well is it or not?" Uther growled.

"There was no blood yesterday or the day before, though there is a _slight_ chance of a rupture occurring in the course of today, i suppose." Merlyn replied, glaring at Edwin. Her tone implied that such a thing happening was damn near impossible, but that flew right over Uther's head as usual.

"Cure her!" He ordered. Edwin bowed to him immediately.

"I need the room to be empty, sire, lest i break my concentration. It is a..._delicate_ process." He said.

Uther ordered the room emptied at once of course, luckily missing the fact that Arthur had to drag Merlyn out of the room. The prince watched her carefully, it would not be good if she tried to kill the burned man in front of the king, least of all with magic.

Merlyn kept herself in check, though, waiting for Edwin to 'cure' Morgana and the King to leave before waving everyone out of the room so she could examine Morgana. Door shut and lock placed, Merlyn ran to Morgana and hugged the frail ward tightly.

"I know it wasn't like a sleep, Morgana, he's done this to me before, as well. It feels as if you're trapped in an endless sea of pain and torment, aware of what's going on around you but completely incapable of doing anything." Merlyn whispered, letting the lady weep on her shoulder.

"I-i was so sc-cared Merlyn! Th-that man! He has magic! He did this to me!" Morgana sobbed. Merlyn silently put Morgana in a fresh gown, and then to sleep with her magic and fixed the covers about the ward's body. Taking a moment to compose herself, the witch quietly slipped out of the room, telling Gwen to feed and bathe Morgana once she roused.

"She is resting for the moment, her body was quite strained and will need time to recover completely." She told Arthur, and Uther by extension as he was also present at the time. With a dip of her head she stalked off to Gaius's chambers where he had promised her a hot meal and a bath.

Arthur pointedly did not watch her go as he turned to face his father. He had a sorcerer to get rid of.

* * *

Of all the times for his father to dismiss him, it had to be over a sorcerer. While Arthur certainly did not agree with him going off the deep end at even a hint of magic, this was certainly the one instance he would welcome it. So of course, it wasn't particularly surprising that it was the one time Uther wouldn't believe him. The king felt indebted to the fraud for some reason and had given him a place in the royal household-most likely as Gaius's replacement as Merlyn was already swamped with caring for the knights.

"Arthur?" Merlyn questioned cautiously.

The blond had dragged her from her usual perch by the fence of the training grounds and was currently taking off his armor until he was only left in his trousers, entrusting the necklace she had gifted him to Morris. Thankful that she had worn pants today, Merlyn followed suit until she was clad only in her pants, bindings, and a fitted shirt that Morgana had used during her sword lessons and given to the maid. Even the knights were wary of his peculiar mood, Sirs Leon, Ewan, and Lancelot hovering from three different directions in case they needed to intervene.

"Do not hold back, because I won't." he warned, deadly serious. Merlyn felt alarms ring in her mind, but was forced to push them back as the man in front of her launched at her. Quickly rolling out of the way, Merlyn jumped to her feet and ducked under a punch aimed for her shoulder, getting under his guard enough to hook her foot behind his ankle and push him over.

He snarled and swept her feet out from under her, rolling until she was pinned beneath him.

"Stay back!" she yelled to the knights who had all taken steps forward. They stilled reluctantly, and watched as Merlyn managed to gain some leverage and threw the prince off of her, putting distance between the two of them as she appraised him with her too blue eyes.

"Why won't he listen to me?" Arthur demanded, stalking up to her and absently ducking a round house kick from the woman, grabbing her extended leg and yanking so she fell to the ground. Merlyn caught herself on her hands in a bizarre form of a backbend.

"Why is it that he won't even trust his own son!?" he continued, hissing when her other foot planted itself solidly on his solar plexus and pushing the air out of his lungs. Merlyn used the loosened grip on her leg to return to her feet, using his momentary distraction to jump onto his back, her legs easily fitting around his waist as her arms went under his and around to the back of his head.

"Your father is a man with a convoluted sense of pride. He is irrational and blind." Merlyn replied, voice strained as her hostage tried to free himself by backing into hard surfaces.

"I AM HIS SON!" he roared, anger finally showing through his eyes, and scaring his knights who were only a moment away from separating the two. As it was, Gaius had already been called for, and was watching his niece with a frown.

"AND THEREFORE HIS TO ORDER AS HE PLEASES!" Merlyn shot back just as fiercely. She ran her fingers through his hair soothingly even as he became still and rigid. "He is flawed, Arthur, but he is also still in charge for the moment. Until the day that you become King, all you can do is protect your people from his mistakes. It is one of the most frustrating things you will have to deal with, but you must, because _they are depending on you_."

Arthur finally fell to his knees, Merlyn slowly releasing her hold on him so she could slide down onto the ground behind him, sitting with her legs crossed. He slowly turned to face her, expressionless, and let her guide his head down into her lap where she continued to run her fingers through his hair.

"Merlyn?" Gaius asked lowly, careful not to approach the volatile prince too fast. Sir Leon was at his back, hand only an inch away from his sword in case he had to defend the elder.

"I have a twisted ankle and a few bruised ribs, his wounds are just superficial." she told him, forcing Arthur to keep his head where it was when he tried to get up.

"I'll have Morris set the paste and herbs in your chambers," Gaius said before turning to the red-headed knight, "make sure she stays off that ankle for the next couple of days until it is healed."

The knight nodded in understanding, and watched the physician leave the training field with Morris at his side, the manservant eager to help Merlyn in any way he could. He couldn't help but chuckle at the thought. The servant was infatuated with her, but thankfully knew that she was not to be pursued. Looking back to where his prince had finally calmed and was now pulling Merlyn up into his arms, Leon felt a flash of foreboding was over him. He had seen his prince angry, like now, when his father and the pressures of the court built upon him until he became violent. However, he had a feeling that if the healer in his arms was to be taken from him, the prince would go ballistic and slaughter everything in his path until she was at his side.

Lancelot held thoughts along the same line as Leon, however he noted one thing that the more experienced knight had not.

Merlyn would do the same for Arthur.

It was a ridiculous notion from an outside perspective. The pair had only known each other for a couple months, but already they were so in love it often felt like they were intruding on an intimate moment. There was undoubtedly chemistry between the two, and both of their natural charismas pulled everyone around them into it.

In fact, it was the bond between the two that led to the following actions of Sirs Ewan, Lancelot, Leon, and Gaius. While Merlyn was being fussed over by Morgana and Gwen, and the rest of the castle asleep, the mysterious Edwin disappeared from the castle, never to be seen again. It was Sir Ewan that lured the man to the unused corridor of the dungeons. It was Sir Leon who dealt the blow, and it was Sir Lancelot who rid of the body. When the inquiries were made in the morning after when the scarred man did not appear for breakfast, it was Gaius who told the king that the man had gone back home to spread his medicine.

If Arthur and Merlyn could not protect themselves, than they would do it for them without question.

* * *

_3855 Words_

_10 Pages_


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